


The Chosen

by PinkAtHart



Series: The Chosen Universe [2]
Category: Power Rangers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:48:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 60,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28080414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkAtHart/pseuds/PinkAtHart
Summary: Long ago, when Zordon was fifteen, his father brought a group of teenagers together to stop the biggest force of Evil in the universe. Zordon soon befriended these teens and helped take care of them. Unknown to any of the Chosen or Zordon, nothing was at it seemed, and soon, the truth would come out.This is the prequel to Legacy Rangers. It features teenaged versions of Zordon, Zedd, and Rita, and none of them are what you might imagine. The truth of their history and the history of Eltar is about to be revealed.
Series: The Chosen Universe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2054166





	1. Chapter One

UPDATED AUTHOR'S NOTE: Welcome to the Chosen Universe! This quick note will appear at the start of each of the fics in the series to help you make sense of things. These stories were originally published on fanfiction.net.

When I originally wrote Legacy Rangers, it was intended to be a stand-alone fic. By the time several of the Chosen's descendants came into it, I began to realize there was more to the story and wrote the prequel (The Chosen), intending to add a sequel (Chosen Legacy) that tied it all together. Two "side stories" that took place in the same universe (Stone Warriors and Blast to the Past) ended up becoming essential to the plot of Chosen Legacy and I also began writing one-shots (Tales From the Rebellion) about a group of Rebel Eltarians who tie back to Zell and Zordon's world and become extremely important in the later fics. For the full Chosen Universe experience, I suggest reading all of these fics, however, the only ones you really have to read together are Legacy Rangers, Chosen Legacy, and Chosen Destiny because they are direct sequels to each other. I tried my best to recap previous fics in later ones for anyone who didn't read all of them.

The best order to read the fics in is as follows:

1) The Chosen (prequel featuring Zordon, Zedd, and Rita as teenagers)

2) Legacy Rangers (begins very focused on the MMPR universe and ultimately includes appearances by every single team straight through Ninja Steel toward the end)

3) Stone Warriors (Sir Ivan from Dino Charge and Vida from Mystic Force become involved with a new team of Power Rangers. This is the first fic to introduce the Rebellion of Eltar. It also introduces new details from Zordon's family history. It contains major spoilers for Legacy Rangers.)

4) Blast to the Past (Previously titled Go, Go, Wildcats. Cassie from Turbo is sent back in time to stop Divatox with Lucas from Time Force. This story takes place in 1989 and introduces a brand new team of misfit teenagers who Cassie selects to be her team of Power Rangers. This fic contains a few big spoilers for Legacy Rangers.)

5) Chosen Legacy (My attempt at End Game, LOL. All of the previous teams come together to stop the greatest evil in the universe. Contains spoilers for all previously mentioned fics.)

6) Tales From the Rebellion (You can read this one anywhere after Blast to the Past, with or without having read Chosen Legacy, so I stuck it at the end of the first six books. This is the story of the Rebellion of Eltar, a group who initially came into the series during Stone Warriors as villains but grew into so much more. Here, you will find their personal histories and may come to understand them a lot better. This fic contains a lot of important backstories that tie into the rest of the series.)

7) Chosen Destiny (The final story in the Chosen Universe. This fic will contain spoilers for all previous fics and will wrap up the entire saga. It will feature most of the characters seen in the previous fics, and will focus heavily on the Eltarians, the Stone Warriors, and the Celestial Force Rangers. COMING SOON!)

Thank you for your interest in taking this journey with me! I hope you enjoy the ride.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story takes place a very long time ago, specifically around the time Rita Repulsa was born. It is a prequel to Legacy Rangers (which will be posted here soon) and it explains connections to characters in that fic, but you don't have to read that fic to follow this story.

CHAPTER ONE

DIMITRI

The smell of blood mixed with honey mead filled the air. Dimitri Scott knew that meant a ritual must be taking place. He wondered why his father had not woken him. It was true he was the youngest son, but he was very adept at magic and he never missed a ritual.

He cautiously walked toward the ritual room. There, he saw his father dancing around by himself as his mother and siblings watched in confusion.

"Dimitri! At last!" His father said. His arm was slashed and was clearly the source of the blood. He was very intoxicated, most likely from the mead.

What happened next was too sudden and shocking for anyone to prevent. His father grabbed his eldest brother, Matteus, and slit his throat.

His mother and younger sister screamed. The next eldest, Nikolas, stood frozen in horror. His father got to him before Dimitri did, and he slit his throat, too.

"Your mother has been unfaithful!" His father shouted to his two remaining children. "And now, Agatha, you shall watch your children perish for your sins!"

"Adamus, stop this, please!" His mother begged. "Release our children... It is I you have a quarrel with."

His father laughed. Then, he turned to Lucinda. At barely thirteen years, Lucy was the youngest of the children. Dimitri reacted, attacking his father.

"Foolish boy!" His father shouted. He swung the blade at him. Dimitri dodged the blow. This infuriated his father. He tried again, and again, Dimitri managed to escape harm. Finally, his father slashed open his chest. Dimitri stumbled back, severely wounded. His father took the opportunity to slit Lucy's throat before approaching his mother.

Dimitri looked to his fallen brothers. Matteus still held his sword at his side. It bore the family crest and had been passed down from eldest son to eldest son for generations.

"Forgive me, Brother," Dimitri said as he gently pulled the sword free from his brother's hand. Dimitri had to fight. He knew this. He struggled to raise the sword that now, with the deaths of both his brothers, belonged to him. He watched in horror as his father took his mother's head clean off. Finally able to reach him, Dimitri let out a battle cry as he drove his sword through his father's chest. He knew the blow was fatal. As soon as he pulled his sword out, his father bled out.

Dimitri fell to his knees as grief overwhelmed him. Only the sound of movement stopped him from driving his sword through his own heart. "Lucy?" He asked as he realized she was trying to crawl toward him.

"Dimitri..." She said softly. Her wound was not as deep as the others, but Dimitri knew she did not have much time.

"Lucy... I must help you!"

She looked at him sadly. "Hold me, Brother. That is all I require."

He held his baby sister, desperately trying to think of a way to save her. She touched his chest. "You are hurt," she said. "If you are not helped, you will also perish."

"Lucy, no. I forbid it!"

She ignored him and put all of her energy into healing his wound. "I am meant to be with Mother and our brothers," she said. "You are not yet finished, Dimitri. You must fight. You must live."

"Healing me will be the death of you!"

"As is meant to be. I love you, Brother. Fight. For me. For Mother. For us all. Never stop fighting." She touched his face before her hand dropped and her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

Dimitri wept as he held her corpse. When he finally released her, he again picked up his sword. This was it. He was alone...

Suddenly, every inch of his body began to tingle. He felt himself moving rapidly through space, and found when this finally stopped, he was no longer alone.

"Hello, Dimitri," an entity he had never seen before said. "Welcome. The others shall be arriving shortly."

MORGANA

She was known in her childhood as the Witch Child. Her parents had wanted nothing to do with this strange girl who had frightening hair of an impossible shade and possessed powers no one could control or explain.

Morgana Fairhaven had been ten when her parents sold her into slavery to a creature who called himself Master Vile. He had taken possession of Morgana, using her powers for his own dark purposes. As she'd begun to come of age, he had used her body as well. Eventually, this led to pregnancy.

Morgana was terrified. She had to escape, and she had to find a way to protect her unborn child. It was time to take back her magic and her life.

She cast her spell, knowing she'd have very little time to escape. Unfortunately, as she was about to run, she felt an extreme pain in her stomach. Moments later, blood began running down her legs. Morgana screamed in agony.

"The child is arriving!" Master Vile said with glee. He strapped Morgana down so she could not move. Then he called in the demonic midwife.

The child came quickly. Once the delivery was over, the midwife said, "She's quite lovely, Morgana. Healthy lungs as well!" Indeed, the child was screaming impressively loudly. The midwife handed her to Morgana after unstrapping her.

The child looked into Morgana's eyes and became instantly calm. "My sweet daughter..." Morgana said. "Dearest Rita." She kissed her daughter's head before realizing something was wrong. Her body was growing weaker. As she lost consciousness, Rita began screaming again.

When Morgana awoke again, Rita was gone. "Where is she?" She asked.

"Hush, Morgana. You nearly bled yourself dry," the midwife replied.

"Where is my daughter?" She asked more urgently.

"I am sorry, dear girl... The babe did not survive."

"No... She must have," Morgana insisted. "I feel her. She lives."

"A mother will hold onto a comforting lie," the midwife said, "but it is still only a lie."

Morgana's world crashed down around her. She may not have intended to become a mother, but she loved her daughter. How could the girl be gone?

Filled with rage and residual hormones, Morgana attacked Master Vile the moment she saw him. She stunned him enough that she was able to flee. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, not stopping although she had nowhere to go. Suddenly, she felt her body begin to tingle. In a split second, she was somewhere else.

"Fear not, Morgana," a voice said. "You are safe now."

RAVEN

The sound of laughing children echoed through the cave. Raven Taylor wondered why anyone would laugh in this place. It was terribly dark and generally depressing. He picked up a weapon, just in case.

His friends were all working around him. They were a team of eight, tasked with digging through the cave in the hopes of finding something of value. They had been there for four days. So far, they'd found dust, insects, and rodents. It wasn't looking very promising.

Etain, his closest companion since they were small boys, changed all of that. "I've got something!" He declared. He lifted it up high in the air and Raven could see it appeared to be a golden box of some sort.

The others quickly joined him. Etain looked at them in excitement. "Ready?" He asked.

"Open it!" The others replied.

Etain did. To their great surprise, the box was not filled with jewels or other riches. Instead, a very still form lay inside.

"You have disturbed a coffin," Raven said in horror.

Etain gently put the box down. "What is it doing here?" He wondered aloud.

The laughter of children began echoing through the cave again. Suddenly, the form which had been lifeless sat up and stared at them.

"Ah, yes," the child said. "Free!" It then ran at them. Elias never saw it coming, and the others watched in horror as the evil child ripped him apart. "Thank you for awakening me. A witch trapped me in that slumber for eternity. Now, I hunger!" It tore apart Ramsey.

They tried to run, but it was as if the child were everywhere at once. One by one, they were slaughtered. The weapon in Raven's hands was useless against the demonic child. Finally, as the child turned to Etain, Raven stopped trying to plan and began to improvise. He moved in an unpredictable manner, taking two steps to the right followed by three steps to the left or ducking back when he seemed to be going forward. As only he and Etain remained alive, Raven attacked the demon with everything he had. It screamed in pain before snapping Etain's neck with unnatural strength and speed.

Raven watched Etain fall to the ground. It should have broken him, but it simply made him want to fight harder to avenge his friends. As the demon charged at him, Raven cast out the darkness, filling the cave with pure light.

The demon screamed as it began to burn. Only when it was nothing but ash did Raven go to his fallen friends. None had survived. Etain had never even had a chance. Raven closed his eyes, reciting a prayer for the dead, before feeling his body begin to tingle. Suddenly, he was in an unfamiliar place.

"You have fought bravely, Raven," a man said. "Rest now, and mourn your friends. All will be answered soon."

GALAXIA

Her mother had always been an evil wench. Galaxia Campbell sensed she was about to take things one step farther.

"Galaxia, come," her mother bellowed.

She rolled her eyes before joining her. "I am not a dog, Mother," she said. "I dislike being commanded to come. What is next? Sit? Stay? Roll over?" When she was frustrated, her vaguely British accent grew much stronger. It was quite pronounced now.

"Hush. I am leaving for the city."

"Going to the market?" Galaxia asked lightly, knowing how much her mother despised her snarky responses.

"Stop that sass!" Her mother snapped at her. "No, Galaxia, I am not going to the market. I am going to destroy the entire city. My potion is ready."

Galaxia knew what that meant. There would be no survivors. As her mother left, Galaxia packed up some supplies.

"What are you doing, Xia?" Her handmaiden Starla asked. Those closest to her rarely used her full name, adopting this nickname instead.

"What I should have done long ago," Galaxia replied. She finished packing before giving Starla a hug. "Thank you for your kindness. I release you from your servitude."

"Your mother would become most cross if I were to leave."

"Starla, you have been my closest friend since before I can recall. You have served me enough. Live your life." Galaxia removed all but one of her golden necklaces. "These will buy you a nice life."

"Mistress Xia, I cannot-"

"I insist. You know I am stubborn, so do not bother protesting." With that, Galaxia left on her journey. She wrapped her hand around the one heirloom she'd kept. Although her entire family had always served evil, Galaxia had decided at a young age to rebel and use her powers for good. Her mother hated it, and she'd given Galaxia the necklace to remind her of her dark heritage. It was said that its power could corrupt any sorceress, but even that could not tempt Galaxia to the dark side. It served now to remind her of her strength and of why she must always choose to be a force of good.

As she reached the city, Galaxia spotted her mother casting her spell. She opened up a portal that brought her straight into the circle. Her mother was startled, which gave her an opening. Galaxia grabbed the potion bottle and levitated it into the air before shattering it.

"You insolent brat! You shall pay for this betrayal!" Her mother screamed.

They began to battle. At first, it was entirely magic-based, but once her mother summoned minions, it turned physical. Galaxia took them on with ease, destroying one after the other, until only she and her mother still stood.

Her mother hit her with a spell that knocked her into a rock. Galaxia's side was torn open by its sharp edge. "Now pay for what you have done!" Her mother demanded.

"You first," Galaxia said. Using the last of her strength, she touched the ground. A nearby tree was uprooted. It flipped through the air and crushed her mother as it landed. Galaxia took comfort in the fact that her mother's lifeless eyes stared at her in shock. She'd succeeded. Her mother would never harm anyone again. Galaxia vowed that, should she survive this, she would purify the family line and teach all who came after her to use their powers only for good.

She was fairly certain she would die soon, however, as she continued to bleed. Suddenly, she felt herself moving through space as though in a portal, but she had not opened one. She looked around as she landed.

"Galaxia, you require healing," a man said. "Allow me to assist you as we wait for the others."

CAIUS

It was just his luck that things were going to end this way. Caius Grant was genuinely happy. Although he had never expected to find love as he traveled the land of the mystics, Rose BrightBear had changed all of that. She was beautiful, intelligent, funny, and endlessly kind. She was essentially the perfect woman, but she was tragically unavailable.

The Chief mystic had made Rose his bride. She bore him a daughter who was as powerful as both of her parents combined. Although Rose loved her daughter and was loyal to her husband, she did not love him. Only when she met Caius did she feel that love in her heart.

In secret, Caius and Rose became lovers. They were together for over a year when the Chief discovered the truth and ordered Caius to be sacrificed to a powerful Underworld God.

Now Caius stood tied to a post in the center of a circle of mystics. They chanted as they raised energy to summon the God. Caius knew the end was near. He looked at Rose, who was restrained and powerless to do more than watch as her beloved was sacrificed.

I love you, Caius thought. He knew she heard him.

As the ritual blade pierced his heart, Caius felt all of the blood begin to leave his body. He grew weaker as Rose screamed his name and begged her husband to spare his life. Only as the last of it came out did Caius see the God.

He was terrifying and dark. He laughed at the obvious fear Caius felt. "Worry not, my servant. You shall come to enjoy your punishment," he said. Although this God was not expressly evil, the Chief had offered up Caius as one whose suffering and pain would fuel the Underworld. This specification meant Caius would be tortured for eternity.

As they traveled to the depths of the Underworld, Caius felt something chasing them. "Release him," Rose said as she appeared. "I beg you, release him now."

"He has been promised to me," the God replied. "It is now destined."

Rose would not accept that answer. She grabbed Caius and kissed him. "Run," she whispered.

"I shall not leave you, my love," Caius said firmly.

"Go, Caius! Be free from this place! I have made my choice." She kissed him again. "I love you... But your purpose is greater now." With that, she shoved him, and Caius awoke in his body. Somehow, he was alive again despite the scar over his heart. He looked beside him and realized Rose had collapsed.

"Rose? Rose!" He cried. He clutched her body. It was still warm, but he knew in his heart that she was gone. He'd lost her. It had been meant to be the other way around. How could he be expected to go on in a world where she no longer existed?

"One day," he vowed, "the children of future generations shall find one another and have their love be not forbidden." He wasn't sure he could ever bring himself to love another and have a child, but somehow he knew that his descendant would eventually find Rose's, and they would find happiness.

A sudden vision overwhelmed him. Caius had never had one before, and it startled him.

In the Underworld, the God became enraged. No one had ever escaped from him before. "My vow is this... Any descendant of Caius Grant shall be mine upon his death. None shall ever find the joy he desires, nor the peace of being with one of your line. His sons shall never find your daughters!"

Rose smiled to herself, knowing exactly what would bring their lines together in the distant future. "Very well," she said. "And now, I make a vow of my own... In the end, your destruction shall come at the hands of one of my line."

The God laughed at this, but Caius knew with absolute certainty that it was true. As he awoke from his vision, he realized he was no longer at the scene of his death, nor was he holding his beloved Rose.

"Welcome, Caius," a being of great power said. "It will not be long now."

QUINTUS

The smell of fire awoke him. Quintus Kwan jumped out of bed and peered through his window. Flames covered his village.

"Mother!" Quintus called, running down the hall. He found his parents' bedchamber in flames. They lay in bed, severely burned and clearly dead. Knowing there was nothing he could do for them, Quintus fled the house, somehow running through the flames without burning himself. He continued running, searching the village for signs of life. Every house was in flames. Every man, woman, and child lay burning. None made a sound, and Quintus wondered if breathing in the smoke had kept them from waking up even as flames began to lick at their flesh. They had gone to bed innocent, never suspecting this devastation was coming.

Toward the end of the village, Quintus spotted an entity unlike any he'd ever seen. Its body was made of flames, and whatever it pointed to caught on fire. Clearly, this monster was the cause of the tragedy that had almost certainly wiped out his village. It was terrifying, but Quintus couldn't allow his fear to control him now.

"You there!" Quintus called. When the monster rudely ignored him, Quintus threw a rock at its head. The monster glared at him. "You will pay for what you have done!"

The monster looked skeptical. Quintus couldn't really blame him. Still, he charged at the monster, determined to stop it before it could move on to another village. It flung a giant fireball at his head. Quintus was stunned when it moved right through him, causing him no harm.

"Impossible!" The monster screamed. It tried again. This time, Quintus somehow caught the fireball with his hands. He proceeded to fling it back at the monster, who vanished in a final frantic flame which burst from the ground.

Quintus knew he had succeeded. He began searching in vain for survivors. The flames did him no harm and he put out each fire, but no matter how many houses he checked, he found nothing but death and ashes. Finally, after the last house was checked, Quintus knew for certain that everyone he had ever known was dead. He was the only survivor.

As his body began to tingle, Quintus was suddenly transported away from the village. He found himself looking at a man in a tube of some sort. "Welcome, Quintus," the man said.

"Quin is fine," he replied casually. "Would you mind telling me where we are?"

"Is is time for that, yes. My dear children, welcome to my base of operations. I am Zell, the Great Wizard of Eltar," the man began.

Quintus had a feeling things were about to get a lot more interesting.

ZELL

He looked over the children he had selected to form his team. They ranged in age from fifteen to seventeen, and they each came from diverse worlds. He hoped they would serve their purpose well.

"Each of you has been touched by great evil today," Zell said. "Yet you survived, against all odds. That is why you are here."

Dimitri stood, stoic and determined, his family sword held firmly in his hand. Morgana was visibly trembling. Raven looked both curious to hear more and cautious to believe him. Galaxia nodded as he spoke, seeming to understand where this was going somehow. Caius refused to look at him, staring at his feet instead. Quintus watched him closely, as if waiting for the punch line.

"You are the Chosen. You shall form an elite team of warriors who shall be called upon to protect the universe from evil," Zell said. "Dimitri, you showed great courage and skill today. You put the needs of others above your own and showed impressive leadership as you took charge in an impossible situation. You shall be Chosen Red, the team leader."

Dimitri was transformed into his red armor. Everyone seemed startled by that. Dimitri remained stoic, nodding. "I accept this mission," he said without hesitation.

"Galaxia, you were born into evil and darkness, yet you chose to be good. Today, you ended the existence of a great evil despite much risk to your own safety. You have a pure heart and are both clever and brave. You shall be Chosen Yellow."

Galaxia let out a slight gasp as she transformed. She looked down at her armor and paused. "How do we know you serve good and not evil?" She asked.

"Look inside of your heart, Galaxia. It has never been wrong before."

Galaxia paused before saying, "I accept as well."

Zell turned to Raven. "Raven, you are swift and unconventional. Today, you showed great adaptability in battle. You were able to create light in the darkest of places. For this, you shall be Chosen Black."

Raven seemed excited by his transformation. "I accept!" He said eagerly.

"Morgana, I know you suffered greatly these last several years. In spite of this, you fought to free yourself from the greatest evil of them all, Master Vile. You showed great power and incredible spirit, and that is how you escaped. You shall be-"

"No, thank you," Morgana said softly.

Zell frowned. He had not planned on any of the Chosen rejecting his offer. "Morgana, I am sympathetic to your plight. However, you are meant to be here."

"I am no warrior, Great Zell. I am simply a troubled witch."

He knew the loss of her daughter had destroyed her. He also knew that the child was still very much alive. Rita was destined for many things, and her journey was one he could not interfere in, so he kept this truth from her mother.

"Morgana, you are far stronger than you know. You say you are not a warrior, yet you have battled every day for the last six years. Your inner strength is unmatched, and that is why you shall become Chosen Green."

Morgana transformed before she could protest again. She bowed her head respectfully, too well-trained to refuse his order. "Yes, Great Zell," she whispered.

He turned to Caius. "Caius, you have returned to us from the world of the dead. This has granted you great power, and your high intelligence shall aid in allowing you to learn how to use it. Your heart is strong and your loyalty is stronger. You shall become Chosen Blue."

Caius looked confused and slightly frightened as he transformed. After a moment, he asked, "This is what she meant, correct?"

"Yes, Caius. It was Rose's love for you that saved you and set you on the path toward a new destiny."

Caius put his fist over his heart and bowed. "I accept... For Rose."

Zell finally turned to Quintus. "Quintus, you showed great heroism as you searched for survivors of your village. You put your emotions surrounding the loss of your parents and your fear aside to try to save others. In the end, you faced that monster with great courage and determination. You shall be Chosen Gold, the final member of this team."

Quintus frowned at him as he transformed. "I told you to call me Quin," he said. Then he laughed and added, "And I absolutely accept!"

Zell smiled as his Chosen looked at each other and then back at him. "What now?" Galaxia asked.

"Now, you wait. I shall call you when you are needed," Zell replied.

"Don't we need to train first? Or be told what we are up against?" Dimitri asked.

"All that you need is already inside you," Zell said cryptically . "Look within." With that, he teleported the children into the part of the structure which was above ground. It would serve as their home from now on. Only then did he call in his companion.

"Alpha," he said, "we have our team."

"Excellent, Zell!" Alpha, the only creation of his kind, replied. "What should we do now?"

"We must finalize our plans for this team. In the meantime, the children can get to know one another." Zell hoped that his Chosen would be able to get along. If not, they would need to put their emotions aside for the sake of the greater good. The fate of the world depended on it.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you liked the first chapter! Comments and votes are always appreciated. Zordon, Zedd, and Rita will be actively joining the story soon.


	2. Chapter Two

DIMITRI

They found themselves inside of a house. "Ah, you're here," a teenage boy said. "Welcome." His skin was the same odd shade as Zell's, but other than that, he looked fairly ordinary. He wore his long, dark blonde hair loose down his back and dressed in clothing similar to what Raven wore.

"Who are you?" Dimitri asked.

"I am Zordon of Eltar, Son of Zell."

"Are you a great wizard as well?" Galaxia asked.

Zordon laughed. "Hardly. I have an understanding of basic magic, but I am no wizard like my father. I know enough to guide you all, though, which is why he dragged me to this planet. You are all my responsibility now."

"How old are you?" Quintus asked.

"According to your years? I am fifteen."

"You are younger than most of us, I believe," Raven said. "You are meant to teach us?"

"Yes, I thought that was rather foolish as well, but my father insisted... It is destined, it is a great honor, it is my responsibility and duty... Blah, blah, blah, and so on..."

Quintus laughed. "Sarcasm. I like you," he said.

"Come. I shall bring you to your chambers before we go to the marketplace later for essentials." He led them to a long corridor with several rooms. "Go on and choose."

"We each have our own chambers?" Morgana asked in awe.

"Of course. Did you expect to sleep in the barn?"

"There's a barn? With animals?" Galaxia asked in excitement.

"No, with books." Zordon laughed and shook his head. "Honestly, what sort of question was that?"

"Why is there a barn?" Dimitri asked.

"We are on a large farm. It's fairly secluded, and there are crops and animals. We can live off the land if we must," Zordon explained. "Now, select your chambers. I will come get you in a bit." He left them.

The others eagerly chose chambers. Dimitri noticed only Morgana remained behind. "Are you well?" He asked.

"I have never had my own chambers," she admitted. "Not since I was very small, when I still lived with my parents. Master Vile had me sleep on the floor of the slave quarters... As I got older, if I was not there, I..." She looked away from him. "I still did not sleep alone."

Dimitri suspected this girl had been through more hell than any of them. "Well, you have your own chambers now," he said gently, opening the door to the chamber beside his. "You shall be safe here, Morgana. And, if ever you are afraid, call for me."

She smiled at him sadly. "Thank you, kind Sir."

"Dimitri," he said. "And Sir is most unnecessary."

She nodded. "Dimitri." Then she retired into her chambers.

Once alone with his thoughts, Dimitri felt hopeless. His family was gone. Only he survived now.

Fight, he heard Lucy whisper.

"I shall, Lucy," he promised. "I shall always fight." He held his family's sword firmly, praying he could one day prove he was worthy of it.

ZEDD

He was getting terribly sick of his father's constant abuse. "Boy! Come here!" His father called.

Zedd sighed and walked over to his father. "What is it now, Father?" He asked.

"Do you see this girl?" He pointed to an image of a rather attractive young woman.

"Clearly," Zedd replied sarcastically.

"She has great power. Seduce her, drain her, and turn her evil!"

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?"

"Why her?"

"Because I said so!"

"That's original."

His father struck him hard. Zedd stared at him defiantly. "You will go to this girl and do as I say."

Zedd figured going to the girl might not be so bad. He teleported out of his home and headed to the place he knew she would be.

She stood with a horse, speaking to it soothingly. The horse seemed to understand her. It let out a startled cry and the girl turned around to face Zedd as if she'd understood it.

"Oh! You startled me," she said. "Are you the stable boy?"

He shrugged. He might as well go with an easy answer. "Yes," he replied.

"Liar," she said, surprising him.

"What?"

"My friend here does not know you... And your energy screams incubus."

He stared at her. "How could you possibly know that?" He demanded.

"I am Galaxia Campbell, Last of the Campbell Sorcery line. I know my supernaturals."

He was impressed. "I mean you no harm," he said.

"Yet here you are, where you clearly should not be."

He had to admit, he was drawn to her. "My father sent me. He wanted me to seduce you to evil. I don't feel like it."

"Honesty... How curious." She paused, studying him. "You do not like your father, do you?"

"Hate is too weak a word for what I feel for him."

"Why do you stay then?"

"I never saw another option."

"I killed my mother today. It prevented her from destroying an entire city."

He stared at her in awe. "I never considered killing my father."

"No... You are too pure of heart. Instead, you try to protect his victims. You rebel quietly. You utter words of defiance. Your heart is strong."

"How do you know?"

"I can read you... But I still don't know your name."

"My apologies! I am called Zedd."

"Zedd..." She repeated. It did something to him to hear his name on her lips. "Call me Xia."

"Xia..." He repeated. "Would you like to help me anger my father?"

"Sure." She grinned at him.

"I have never ridden a horse. Have you?"

"Yes. I have an affinity for animals."

"Can you teach me? He sent me here to manipulate you. Having you teach me to ride a horse will likely enrage him."

She laughed. "I do not mind... Will he hurt you?"

"Most definitely... However, it will be well worth it to spend an afternoon with you."

She laughed. "You are quite the charmer, Zedd. Come. I shall gladly teach you all you need to learn about horses." She took his arm in hers and led him to another horse. It seemed nervous at the sight of him. Zedd looked like an ordinary boy, but animals could sense his incubus energy and knew he was not quite human.

"Shhhh, Winnie," Galaxia said soothingly. "He will cause you no harm." She turned to Zedd. "This horse tells me her name is Winifred. Pet her... Let her know you are a friend."

Zedd hesitated before petting the horse. It was oddly soothing to connect with the animal. Winifred ultimately became calm. Galaxia helped Zedd climb up onto the saddle, then began leading the horse around cautiously. Only when the horse was fully calm did Galaxia let go of the reigns and climb up onto the first horse's saddle.

Together, they rode. The farm was large and open, and there was a beauty to it that Zedd liked. They kept this up for a bit. Zedd couldn't remember the last time he'd had so much fun.

Once they dismounted and his feet were on the ground, Zedd looked into her eyes. "This was worth whatever punishment he selects," he told her honestly.

"You could run away," Galaxia suggested.

"I do not run," Zedd replied. "But I shall fight to the end to be able to choose for myself."

Galaxia kissed him, startling him. He had to hold back to make sure he did not feed on her life force. He enjoyed the kiss. "Well worth the price," he said again.

"Be safe, Zedd. We shall meet again," she said with a smile. Zedd doubted that very much, but he wished it could be true.

ZORDON

He had gathered the other teenagers together. "Wait... One is missing," he said with a frown. "Where is Galaxia?"

"Right here," she said as she rushed inside. "And call me Xia. It's less of a mouthful."

"Where did you go?"

"To the barn."

"Why?"

"To borrow a book," she said with a straight face.

Zordon laughed in spite of himself. "Fine... Perhaps I ask the occasional foolish question myself," he admitted.

"I like animals. I wanted to explore."

"Very well. Next time, kindly let us know in case we need you."

"I make no promises... I fear I grow bored rather easily at times."

"This is what my father gets for recruiting teenagers..."

"Are we going to the market or not?"

"Yes, yes. Come along. We will begin the journey now."

"I shall meet you there."

"Xia-"

"Or you could come through this by my side." She opened up a portal.

"Great Gods! What is that?" Raven asked.

"A portal. Fancy a trip?"

"Definitely!"

"Take me, too!" Quintus added.

"Morgana? Would you like to take my shortcut?" Galaxia asked.

Morgana looked toward Zordon. "Is it allowed?" She asked.

Zordon sighed. "Fine. I would not mind being spared a long journey anyway," he agreed.

"Excellent! Come," Galaxia said. One by one, she pushed everyone through. Finally, only she and Zordon remained.

"Go on," Galaxia said. "It shall not bite you."

Zordon went through the portal. It happened quickly. He spotted the others immediately. Galaxia arrived right behind him. "There! Much better," she said. "Now, let us shop!"

"I have no means of payment..." Morgana said.

"Worry not," Zordon said. "Father has provided me with more than enough to buy what we need."

"Come on, Morgana," Galaxia said, looping her arm through the other girl's. "I shall help you find all you need."

Zordon worried what Galaxia had in mind. Morgana seemed a bit frightened herself. Still, she allowed Galaxia to drag her off to look around.

"Gentlemen," Zordon said to those who remained.

Dimitri was admiring an arms booth. He ran his fingers over some of the weapons. This one never stops, Zordon thought. Weapons and battle are all he focuses on.

Raven picked up a sword and began trying it out. "I like this one!" He said.

"It is far too light," Dimitri said. He took it from him and replaced it with another. "Better, yes?"

Raven grinned. "Much," he agreed.

Quintus was looking through the clothing for sale. He quickly selected a few practical ensembles that looked like they would be comfortable. He looked at Zordon. "I am done here," he said.

"Well, at least one of you is quick," Zordon replied. He paused. "Men! Select your garments!"

Dimitri and Raven focused and began looking through clothing. Zordon paused. "Where is Caius?" He asked.

"He said he requires little," Quintus said. He showed Zordon two ensembles.

"Where did he go, Quin?" Zordon asked.

"Hell if I know," Quintus said with a shrug.

Zordon could not begin to process how unhelpful that response was. He shook his head. "Stay together. I must find Caius and the girls." His father had not mentioned this job would include tracking his charges down because they had the attention spans of toddlers. Irritated, Zordon began to look for them.

He found the girls easily enough. Morgana looked lost as Galaxia piled up more and more items. Zordon paid for them before she could buy anything else. He sent them back to the others as he continued to look for Caius. When he finally found him, he was furious, until he saw what he was doing.

Caius stood over a small candle and a rose. He touched the rose gently, tears in his eyes. Zordon could nearly feel the weight of his grief.

"How much for the candle and the rose?" He asked the girl selling them. She named a price. Zordon paid it before walking over to Caius. "Take them," he said gently. "They are yours."

Caius stared at him. "I... I do not understand," he said.

"It is clear these items are important to you... Therefore, they are included in essentials."

Caius tried to hide his tears. "Thank you," he whispered. "I must honor her..."

"Who was she?" Zordon asked, guessing his meaning.

"Her name was Rose... And it is she who should be here, not I. "

Zordon put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Your loss is recent," he observed. "I am sorry for your pain."

"My loss was today," Caius explained.

Zordon was stunned. "Today? And my father still brought you here?"

"From what I understand, we all had a difficult day."

Zordon frowned. He could see how much pain Caius was in. How could his father believe it was the proper time to form this team? Why had he chosen them in their darkest hours? He knew his father was far wiser than he was, but this seemed like such a cruel choice.

Father has his reasons, Zordon scolded himself. You are not to question him. Still, he wished he could understand the logic.

MORGANA

She was overwhelmed by the marketplace. She hadn't been to one since she'd been a young girl, and she was no longer used to the crowds. Galaxia may have been a good guide, but honestly, Morgana had no clue what she should consider an essential.

"Morgana... Are you well?" Galaxia asked as they arrived back at the house.

"Yes," Morgana replied automatically.

"Come. I'll help you sort your new belongings." Galaxia began digging through their purchases and sorting them into drawers.

Morgana knew they had purchased more than she would ever need, but Galaxia seemed to disagree. She watched as her new friend, she supposed, took care of everything. "You'll look lovely in this," Galaxia told her, raising up a green dress.

Morgana was just happy she had something to wear other than the dress she'd lost everything in. Her daughter was gone. Nothing else mattered to her, but she could certainly appreciate not having to be reminded of it every time she looked at her clothes. She changed into one of the subtler, black dresses and thanked Galaxia for her assistance.

A bit later, Zordon called them all out to eat. Nearly everyone had changed, apparently all sharing her view of not wanting to be reminded of their day. Only Raven remained in his original clothing.

Zordon looked at them and admitted, "I do not normally prepare the food of your planet. I hope it is acceptable."

Morgana was not picky. There were times when Master Vile had not let her eat for days. She was grateful for anything. Raven and Quintus seemed to agree, diving into eating immediately. Dimitri ate calmly and quietly. Galaxia poked the food with a fork before deciding it would do and consuming some. Only Caius declined to eat.

"Caius... Is the food not to your liking?" Zordon asked.

"I am not hungry, Zordon," he replied. "Although I thank you for your efforts."

"You need your strength, Caius. Eat."

Caius sighed. It seemed to take great strength for him to put some of the food in his mouth. Clearly eating only as an automatic response, he managed to get most of the meal down.

"Thank you, Zordon," Morgana said softly. "Your kindness is most appreciated."

Zordon nodded at her. "I hope this has helped you all feel a bit better," Zordon said. "Tomorrow, we begin training."

"Zell didn't seem to believe in training," Raven said.

"My father wants to send you out there and let you learn by instinct. I feel it would be more practical to at least teach you some of the basics. It may not always be possible, but in this case, I believe we have some time."

Morgana wondered what training would entail. She was not a warrior of any sort. Physically, she was mildly strong because she had been expected to do certain things as a slave that required strength, but she certainly had not been taught to fight. She was rather powerful with magic, but she wasn't certain she could use it wisely. Master Vile had forced her to use it only for evil. What if it had been tainted forever? What if she was evil now, too?

"Morgana?" Dimitri called gently.

"Yes?" She asked, looking up at him. She realized no one else was at the table.

"You seem troubled."

"I have much on my mind."

"Would you like to discuss it? I am willing and able to listen."

She wondered why he was being so kind to her. He did not know her, or at least he had not until that day. "I fear I do not belong here," she admitted.

"Zell has chosen us all. I am certain he did so cautiously and with reason." He paused. Hesitantly, he reached toward her. Morgana automatically flinched, but his touch was gentle, and she tried to relax. "Morgana... You are stronger than you know. I can see it in your eyes, and if you truly escaped from someone as evil as Zell made Master Vile sound, you have already proven it."

She looked at him, feeling lost. "I do not feel strong," she said softly.

"Nor do I today," he admitted, surprising her. He paused. "I lost my family this morning. My father took their lives... And I took his."

She was horrified for him. "I am so sorry, Dimitri... Yet here you are, so concerned for a girl you do not know."

"I am still here. I must go on. I must fight, as I swore to my sister..." He looked haunted. Morgana desperately wanted to comfort him, but she was uncertain of how to do that.

"We shall fight together," she said.

He nodded. "We shall." He clasped her hand in his. "Do you feel any better?"

"Yes," she said honestly. She certainly felt less alone now. Dimitri had shown her a side of himself she suspected he intended to keep hidden from everyone.

"Come. Let us retire to our chambers for the night... And remember, if you become frightened, call for me. I will come."

She believed him.

THE NEXT DAY.

QUINTUS

He hadn't been sure what to expect. When Zordon called them all to the training area, Quintus went with the others, deciding whatever came next had to be better than just sitting around all day.

The training area had been set up with several weapons, figures to attack, and even magic stations. They began with the physical. Quintus enjoyed a good fight just as much as the next fellow, but Zordon took it to another level. Using some sort of spell, he animated the figures, and they began attacking the Chosen.

"That's cheating," he mumbled. The figures were not supposed to fight back! Still, he adapted fairly quickly and began working on taking them down. He found himself working closely with Galaxia, who could fight as well as she could apparently cast spells. Raven teamed up quickly with Dimitri. Their fighting styles could not be more different. Dimitri was fierce and disciplined. He planned every strike to perfection. Raven, on the other hand, seemed to improvise at every turn. Just when Quintus thought Raven was going to do one thing, he did the complete opposite. This worked well for him, and somehow, he balanced Dimitri perfectly.

Caius worked alone, as did Morgana. Neither seemed very interested in battle. Quintus suspected Caius preferred to hide behind his books. Morgana simply seemed frightened and uncertain of what to do. It was clear she had never been in a fight before.

"Here," Quintus said, stepping beside her. "Raise your arm like this... Good. Now pull back, and... Release!" Morgana connected with a figure and punched him in the face. Quintus laughed. "Great! Now, your legs... You need to get your kicks higher. Raise your leg up, aim for the chest... Bring your foot out to the side like this." He demonstrated. Morgana tried to follow his example, but he had to show her again. He was patient with her until she picked up the motion, and soon, she kicked a figure in the chest.

"I did that..." She whispered.

"You did!" Quintus confirmed. "That was great, Morgana. Keep it up."

She did better after that. Quintus was glad he'd managed to help the girl. Although Galaxia seemed to be handling herself just fine, Morgana was hesitant to try anything. He hoped he could help her start smiling one day.

Caius tried to throw up a kick and fell over. Quintus shifted his attention to him. "Nice effort," he said, "but you got a bit carried away. Allow me to demonstrate." He showed him the proper kick.

"Thank you," Caius said. He tried again, and this time, it was better. "My battling is generally mental, not physical."

"Well, I will help you with the physical, and perhaps you can assist me with the mental. I am fairly smart, however, there is always more to learn." He smiled to show he was not just trying to make himself sound impressive.

"If I can help, I shall," Caius agreed.

Quintus was happy to see he was making friends. Every friend he'd ever had was dead... As were his family and every enemy he'd made, too. He would have given anything to bring even the enemies back, but he knew that was not possible. Quintus was far too sociable to be alone in the world, so he was determined to make friends here.

ZEDD

His father was furious, as he had expected. He stormed into Zedd's chambers and slammed him against the wall. "Ouch!" Zedd objected. "That hurt, Father."

"It was meant to!" His father replied. "What am I to do with you? You defy me at every turn! You go where I command and then... And then..." He was turning redder by the minute.

"And then I learned to ride a horse," Zedd said calmly. "It is quite a useful skill, Father."

"Silence! Enough of your back-talking!" His father turned his sharp claws toward him, slashing his arm open.

It hurt more than Zedd was willing to admit. He forced himself to hide his pain as he said, "I do as I please."

"You are my son! You do as I please!" Again, he attacked, this time tearing open Zedd's chest.

Zedd knew he would heal. He always did eventually. It was one of the perks of being an incubus. No matter how often his father attacked him, he healed and looked as good as new. Still, that had hurt more than he could hide, and he winced slightly.

"You will learn your lesson, one way or another," his father said. "To the isolation room!"

Zedd began to tremble. "Father, no... Please..." He said, no longer able to cover his fear.

"You will stay in there until you starve, and only when you declare your obedience shall I release you!"

Zedd had been locked in that room before. It drained his energy quickly and it left him too weak to function. His father had locked him in there for over a week once. Zedd had barely survived. It was the one thing he truly feared. As an incubus, he could die from not feeding on the energy of others.

His father threw him into the room. Zedd looked at him with pleading eyes. "I will be loyal!" He declared. "Do not do that to me again."

"Prove it!"

"Send me to the girl. I shall feed upon her and turn her."

His father nodded. "This is your last chance, Zedd. Do not fail me." He snapped his fingers, and Zedd found himself back on the farm.

He struggled to catch his breath. He had to calm himself, or Galaxia would know something was wrong. He covered his wounds with a new shirt he conjured and walked toward her. "Hello again," he said.

"You have returned!" Galaxia said. She sounded genuinely happy to see him, and he knew instantly he could not harm her.

"I have," he said. He took her hand. "I cannot stay long. My father is very angry with me, and he is about to become even more so."

"Zedd... Stay. You do not have to go back to him."

"I have nowhere else to go."

"Anywhere is better than where he is." She looked at his chest with concern. "You are bleeding through your shirt."

Zedd looked away from her. "I will be fine."

"Zedd... You need healing."

"I need to feed to heal."

"Then feed." She pulled him closer to her and kissed him again. He was too weak to stop himself from feeding on her energy, but he realized he was not stealing her life force. Instead, she was allowing him to feed on her magic, which he knew regenerated constantly. He stayed in her embrace, continuing to kiss her until he was stronger. When she finally released him, he stared at her.

"You are glorious, Galaxia... I do not deserve your help," he said.

"Hush. I decide who I help."

"Well... I fed on you. Perhaps that will appease him."

"He wants you to turn me evil."

"He does. I will not. You are not corruptible, and I do not wish to harm you."

She touched his cheek. "I wish I could keep you here with me."

"This place is not for me. I must leave."

"I know... But I wish it were different." She hugged him. "Please try to escape him, Zedd. You deserve your freedom."

He kissed her again, not feeding this time. Galaxia responded, and soon, they were wrapped in the most passionate embrace of his life. She is incredible, he thought. Perfection. He never wanted to kiss anyone else. What was happening to him? Was it sorcery?

Before he could figure that out, Zedd was teleported home. His father stood glaring at him. "You fool! What is it you are thinking?"

"She is worth it," Zedd replied.

His father slammed his head against the wall before throwing him into the isolation room. Zedd no longer cared. He knew he had done the right thing, and if protecting Galaxia cost him his life, he could accept that.

ZELL

Everything was coming together. The Chosen slowly seemed to be finding harmony with one another. His son had taken the initiative to train them, which might prove useful. Zell was satisfied with the way things had happened so far.

"We shall move forward with the next step of the plan," Zell told Alpha.

"Horray! We are advancing," Alpha replied. "But Zell... Do you think they are ready?"

"We are about to find out. Their first battle will come soon. In the meantime, I must advance their power levels."

"They have not yet mastered what they have."

"Alpha, there is no time to debate. They shall need their full powers sooner rather than later."

"Yes, Zell. I suppose you are right."

Zell nodded and began summoning the forces which would fully unlock the Chosen. It would leave him weak for a couple of nights, but it was worth it if it meant the Chosen were stronger.

"Alpha, show me the Chosen on the viewing globe," he said.

Alpha obliged. Zell watched as the Chosen were hit with their new powers. They did not understand where the boost came from, nor did they need to. At least now, they would be unstoppable.

A spark of magic burst from Dimitri in battle, causing several weapons to land in targets at once. Dimitri stared, unable to believe what had just occurred. Raven's light began to grow, filling the room and soothing everyone as it cleansed away the negativity. Quintus suddenly had a flame in his hands. His eyes went wide as he started at it, especially as it began to dance. Morgana began to scream as her power became too much for her. Raven quickly reached out to her, and as his light wrapped around her, it calmed her. Ultimately, Morgana's magic began dancing around her, visible to everyone in thick, purple and green spirals. Galaxia found herself levitating, and soon, she was actually flying. Her eyes opened in shock, but soon, she relaxed as well and began to enjoy this new movement. Finally, Caius stood in a corner, his back to the wall.

"The dead..." He whispered. "They are everywhere..." He was terrified, but Raven's light chased away the ghosts, and Caius tried to calm himself. Caius had, in fact, come back with this power when he left the Underworld, but now it was much more pronounced. Everything the team had been holding back had been unlocked.

"Well done," Zell said to himself as he passed out from exhaustion.

RAVEN

He had realized quickly that this new talent of his seemed to bring comfort to his teammates. "All is well," he said soothingly to Caius, who was still trembling. "No harm shall come to you here."

"They were dead... All of them..." Caius whispered.

"They are gone now," Raven said gently.

"Your friends... Dimitri's family... The people from Quin's village... I saw them all. I even saw Xia's mother."

"Oh? Did the wench bring a postcard from Hell?" Galaxia asked with vague interest.

"You saw my family?" Dimitri asked.

"Yes... All of them. They were here," Caius replied.

Morgana looked at him. "Did you see an infant?" She asked nervously.

"I saw no one around you, Morgana," Caius said.

She looked confused. "If everyone else who was lost recently was here... Why was she not?"

"Who is it you expected me to see?"

"It is no matter... I must go." Morgana ran from the room. Dimitri hesitated only a moment before running after her.

"Who did she lose?" Galaxia asked.

"That is not for me to say. It is Morgana's choice whether or not to tell you," Zordon said.

"He is right... She will talk when she is ready to," Raven said. His heart broke for Morgana. He could feel her pain. He hoped the others would give her the space she obviously needed until she was ready to share her story.

MORGANA

She did not close the door to her chamber as she rushed inside. She sat on the bed and began to weep. She heard a gentle knock before Dimitri stuck his head into the room.

"Morgana? Please talk to me," he said gently.

"They told me she is gone," Morgana said through her tears. "That she is lost to me... But I feel her, Dimitri... And Caius did not see her."

"Who, Morgana? Who did you expect Caius to see?"

"My daughter..." She could not look at him. He would probably think she was some sort of whore who had a child out of wedlock.

"Oh, Morgana... It is worse than I imagined." He sat beside her, and to her surprise, he wrapped his arms around her. "I am here."

"I called her Rita... I held her... Kissed her head... Then, I nearly died, and when I woke, she was gone. They told me she had died... But Caius saw all of our dead... Even Xia's mother... Why did he not see my daughter?"

"Perhaps they have lied to you, Morgana."

She looked at him then. "I prayed they did... But I fear believing."

"We shall look for her... And we shall not stop looking until she is reunited with you."

Morgana began to sob harder. "You would help me?"

"We are a team now... I shall always help you, Morgana. This, I vow."

Morgana allowed him to continue to hold her. Rita was alive. She knew it in her heart. Now, she had to figure out how to find her. She silently vowed to never stop looking until Rita was back in her arms.


	3. Chapter Three

MASTER VILE

He could no longer stand his daughter's incessant screaming. "What is wrong with this child?" He demanded. "She has done nothing but shriek for days!"

"The child cries for her mother," the midwife, who was now the nanny, replied. "She still remembers her."

"Well, make her stop!"

"Babies cry, my Lord. It cannot be helped."

"Very well... I shall age her! Yes, brilliant!" He began the spell to make his daughter older. Before his eyes, Rita grew from a tiny infant into a young girl. His magic gave her basic knowledge any child her age should know including language. He hoped if she could speak, she might stop screaming.

Now seven years old, Rita looked at her father. "Where is Mother?" She asked.

"You have no mother," Master Vile replied.

"Yes I do. Everyone does. I want to be with my mother!" She screamed the last part.

"Curses... She still shrieks..." He mumbled.

"You scare me! I want Mother!"

Master Vile threw up his hands in frustration. "Your mother left us. She does not want you. Let go of her now."

Rita looked hurt. "She does not want me?" She asked softly.

"No, my daughter... But I do. This is your home, Rita. Do not be sad. You will want for nothing." He didn't love her. Love was a concept Master Vile could not comprehend. He did, however, value her as his heir. His legacy would continue through her. That counted for something. He would give her the finest tutors. She would train in magic until she was a true force to be reckoned with. She would rule other worlds one day. For now, however, she was still quite young and would require some level of nurturing. Master Vile would need to learn to be patient with her and hope it paid off in the end.

"Go play now, Daughter. Explore the worlds a bit," he said, putting a necklace around her neck. It had once been Morgana's. It would both protect the girl and make it easier for him to track her and make sure she stayed out of trouble. At least sending her off meant she was out of his hair for a bit.

RITA

The world was terrifying, but in a good way. Rita could hardly believe her eyes! There was so much to see, and it was all brand new to her. She explored the forest her father had sent her to, taking in every tree and unusual creature she crossed paths with. She found a creek and sat beside it, fascinated as she watched the water move.

A stag came to stand beside her. Rita eyed it nervously as it bowed its head and began to lap up water with its tongue. Rita giggled and reached down to touch the water. It felt funny as it rushed through her fingers. She removed her hand and was surprised as a bubble formed and rose from the creek, following her hand. Rita moved it every which way and smiled as the water followed her movements perfectly.

"How wondrous!" She proclaimed. She finally released the water back into the creek. That was when she noticed the cat watching her. "Here, Kitty..." She called. "It's alright... I won't harm you."

The cat came closer. Rita laid down on the grass on her stomach so it wouldn't be as afraid of her. It came up to her face and sniffed her before rubbing its face on hers. Rita giggled as the cat licked her face with its rough tongue.

For the rest of her time there, the cat followed her. She enjoyed having a companion. It made her feel less lonely.

She left the woods, which were thick with trees, to enter a meadow filled with flowers. Rita began to touch the beautiful plants, sniffing them along with her cat. Nature was magical. She really liked this place.

As she walked further, she saw a strange structure. It had an opening in it and it looked dark inside. Her cat refused to enter. "I'm curious," Rita told her. "You can stay if you want to. I'll be back." She kissed her cat on her forehead before wandering into the thing her newly informed mind told her was a cave.

Slowly, Rita crept deeper. This place was dark, but there were so many things to see... Crystals covered some of the walls, and their beauty was what kept Rita walking further into the cave. "How amazing..." She whispered, touching one. She continued to explore until her foot got caught on something. She struggled to free herself until suddenly, she was falling down a deep hole. Rita let out a shriek as she wondered how deep it was and how much it might hurt when she finally landed.

She landed in water, which softened it. She was relieved as she stood up, until she realized she could hear a strange sound. She looked up and saw several waterfalls surrounding her. They were beautiful, but the rising water was another story. Rita's father had not given her the knowledge of how to swim.

Rita let out another shriek as a bat flew by her head. It was followed by several others. They perched nearby, seemingly watching her. She wished they would help her instead of just watch her.

You are going to die, a voice told her. Rita wasn't sure what that meant, but she suspected it was nothing good.

GALAXIA

She was about to head inside when the cat found her. It began meowing frantically. "Shhh, my friend... Calm yourself. What is the matter?" Galaxia asked.

The cat informed her that there was a young child trapped in a nearby cave. "Zordon! I am leaving the farm," she said.

"What for?" Zordon asked as he rushed over.

"This cat's new friend is in danger. A little girl is trapped in a cave."

Zordon looked skeptical. The cat meowed again urgently. "Believe me or don't. I am going either way," Galaxia said. She began to follow the cat.

"Xia!" Zordon called. Reluctantly, he added, "Wait for me."

Together, they raced to rescue the girl. Once they hit the cave, the cat stayed outside. "Hello? Is anyone here?" Galaxia called.

She thought she heard something. "Hello?" She tried again.

"Help!" Someone shrieked. That time, both she and Zordon heard it. They ran toward the sound. They reached the hole, which was rapidly filling with water, just as the child vanished beneath the surface.

"Can you swim?" Galaxia asked Zordon.

He replied by diving into the water to find the child. Galaxia followed suit. She had to come up for air several times, although Zordon resurfaced only twice. The second time, he had a very still form in his arms. Galaxia pulled herself out of the water so he could hand the girl to her before pulling himself out.

"Is she breathing?" Zordon asked.

"No," Galaxia whispered in horror.

Zordon took the child back and began focusing on her. Galaxia watched in surprise as he pulled the water from her lungs. After a minute, the girl began to cough.

The girl stared at Zordon with wide eyes. "You're blue!" She said in wonder.

Zordon laughed. "Right now, so are you," he replied. "Xia, we must get her something warm."

Galaxia easily manifested a coat. That sort of magic was simple for her. She wrapped the girl in it. "There, that's better," she said. "Whatever were you doing in here?"

"I was curious," the girl replied.

"She was curious..." Zordon shook his head. "Where are your parents?"

"Father told me to play. I have no mother." She looked terribly sad suddenly.

"We should bring her home," Galaxia said. "She needs to change into dry clothes."

"You may leave me in the meadow. The sun shall warm me," the girl said.

"I would rather not leave you alone."

"Please... Father will be cross I wandered off."

Galaxia sighed. She supposed the meadow was safe enough, as long as the cat stayed with her. As they brought the girl back out of the cave, she saw that the cat had indeed waited for them.

"Kitty!" The child cried. She pulled the cat up into her arms.

Zordon and Galaxia walked the girl back to a safe spot in the meadow before leaving. "Do you think she will be safe?" Galaxia asked.

"Safer than she was, certainly," Zordon replied. Galaxia supposed that would have to do.

CAIUS

He had left the farm. He knew Zell didn't want them doing that on their own yet, but Caius needed privacy. He found a quiet place and set to work on the task at hand.

The rose in his hand gave him strength as he lit the candle. "Rose..." He whispered. "My beloved, darling Rose..."

He didn't know if she could hear him. He'd seen so many souls when the power had exploded from him, but Rose had not been one of them. He wasn't sure if that meant the Underworld God had destroyed her, or if she just couldn't risk appearing to him. He prayed with all he had that it was the latter.

He closed his eyes and allowed his tears to fall. "It should have been me, my love. It was my time to go... Not yours..." He looked to the sky and cried, "Why? Why did you choose this? Why did you leave me here to live without you?"

The sky opened up. Rain began falling down, as though the sky wept with him in his grief. Somehow, it did not extinguish the candle. One of the petals of the rose fell off and landed on the ground. Suddenly, a beautiful rose sprang up from the earth.

Caius began to weep harder, knowing that somehow, his love was with him now. "I miss you," he whispered. "With every breath I draw, I wish only to restore yours instead."

It stopped raining. Caius clutched the original rose to his heart. "I love you..." He whispered. "I shall always love you, and only you."

He stayed there until the flame finally extinguished on its own. Only then did he allow himself to stand. Rose had believed he was meant for more. It was time to prove her sacrifice had not been in vain.

ZEDD

He ached everywhere. He'd never been so hungry in his life, and it was more than a physical hunger. He needed to feed his incubus side or he would die.

His father was pleased with himself. He could hear him standing outside of the room, mocking him. Sometimes, he'd come in and beat him, just to add to his pain. Zedd was too weak to defend himself, but that didn't stop him from sarcastically thanking his father for his kindness.

It'll be over soon, he told himself. Either he'll release you or you'll die... Either way, it will end.

The only comfort he had was thinking about Galaxia. He'd never been so smitten with a girl before. There was something about her that called to him in ways no one had before.

I'm in love, he realized. I barely know the girl, but I'm in love with her... Oh, what a fool I am! Galaxia was pure of heart. She was all that was good in the worlds, while he was a pathetic incubus who didn't have the courage to leave his family so he could finally be free.

The door to the room opened. Zedd waited for his father to attack him again, but instead, he dragged him out of it. "Have you learned your lesson?" He demanded.

"Yes," Zedd replied. "I learned that drawing on the walls in my own blood helps pass the time quite nicely."

His father looked furious. "Insolent boy! I shall teach you! You shall never defy me again!" With that, his father attacked. His claws slashed at Zedd's face. It wasn't enough for him this time. He pulled something out.

"What is that?" Zedd demanded.

"A chemical that will make this lesson stick, Boy!" His father said. He poured the substance over Zedd's face. Zedd screamed in agony as it burned his flesh. His father kept going, beating him with his favorite weapon, leaving welts and bruises all over his body while Zedd was too injured to even attempt to fight back. The pain in his face was too much to process. He lay whimpering on the floor long after his father stopped beating him. He was barely alive, and he wasn't sure he could survive.

You must leave, he told himself. You can stay here no longer... You will not survive.

Zedd pulled himself up off the floor somehow. He was bleeding from too many places to count. He forced himself to keep moving even though the pain was excruciating. Somehow, he found the strength to teleport out of there, but he could think of only one place to go.

He landed on the farm and fell onto the grass, unable to balance himself. He was trembling and began sobbing, unable to stop himself. Even crying hurt, as his tears ran over the open wounds on the left side of his face.

He sensed Galaxia nearby. With the last bit of energy he had, he cast a glamour on himself so she wouldn't see his wounds. He stood, trying to be strong. Suddenly, he heard her voice. "Zedd?" She asked happily. As his legs gave out and he fell to his knees, she ran to him. "Zedd! Zedd, are you alright? What happened to you?"

She knelt beside him. He looked at her and tried to smile, but his power failed him, and he felt his glamour drop. Galaxia covered her mouth in horror. "My God... What did he do to you?" She asked. She reached out to touch his face.

Zedd pulled back. "Don't," he whispered. He was crying again. "Don't... I'm a monster."

"You're no monster," she told him. She touched his face gently, careful not to put pressure on the wounds. "Let me help you."

"I cannot heal this... He used some chemical... It will scar. My magic will not heal it."

"Your other wounds-"

"Leave them. He made his point. I knew I would be punished. I brought this on myself."

"Zedd... You do not deserve such cruelty."

"I am meant to be evil. Now I look it."

She touched his cheek, running her thumb over his wounds and closing them. She could not heal them either, but he stopped bleeding. It was an improvement. "You could not be evil if you tried... And you are still beautiful," she told him.

"How can you say that?"

"Because it is true." She kissed him, and he couldn't help but feed. He was too weak. He should have died. Only stubbornness had kept him alive for that long. She allowed it, giving him her magic instead of her life. It took a while, but eventually, he felt stronger.

"I wish I could stay..." He whispered. "I cannot go home... Not now. He will see me dead."

"Then stay."

"Xia, I cannot. I do not belong here. I can feel this is a place of great power, but it is not meant for me."

"So be our stable boy." She grinned at him. "The horses like you now."

"I do not believe the one who owns this land will like that." Zedd knew who Zell was. Everyone in the greater universe did.

"It does not matter... You cannot go home, Zedd. You have nowhere else to go. I shall find a way to convince him to allow it."

Zedd kissed her. He was mildly surprised she didn't flinch. It wasn't an act. She really wasn't horrified by him. He whispered the words he was too afraid to say. "I fear I may love you, Xia..."

"As I love you, Zedd," she replied, stunning him. He had assumed his feelings were one-sided.

He had too many emotions inside of him. He'd held things in for so long. His father's abuse had been constant for as long as he could remember. Now, finally, someone knew the truth and actually cared. His tears refused to stop.

Galaxia held him. "Shhhh..." She whispered. "Go on. Get it out, Zedd. You never have to return to that evil man. You shall stay here, with me, and that is that."

He hoped that somehow, Galaxia would be able to convince Zell to let him stay. She was certainly a difficult girl to say no to.

ZELL  
He did not expect Galaxia to come barging into his workspace. Neither did Alpha, who let out a startled cry. "Oh! Galaxia. It is you," Alpha said with relief.

"Have we met?" Galaxia asked him.

"Not in person. I am Alpha, loyal assistant to Zell."

"Oh. Well, then, it is a pleasure to meet you, Alpha. Zell, may we speak?"

"Certainly, Galaxia. What may I do for you?" Zell asked.

"Say there was someone who really needed help... Might you consider extending him an invitation to stay here?"

"Of course not! This place is a secret for a reason, Galaxia. We must guard the team until you are ready."

"Well, see, he sort of already knew about the farm. His father is sort of evil, and sent him here, but he did not wish to harm me..."

"There is an intruder here and you did not tell me?"

"He is not an intruder. He's simply a boy, Zell... A boy who needs our help."

"Bring him here immediately, Galaxia."

She left and returned moments later. Zell looked at the boy. "Incubus," he said harshly. "Tell me your business here."

"His name is Zedd, actually, not incubus," Galaxia said just as harshly.

"I mean no harm, Great Zell," Zedd said respectfully. He bowed his head.

"Zedd, you say?" Zell asked with sudden interest. "Son of the mighty-"

"Yes, my father is the evil mastermind you are thinking of. I assure you, I am nothing like him."

Zell had not expected the boy to come to him so soon, but he had known their paths would eventually cross. "What are you hiding beneath your glamour?" Zell asked suspiciously.

Zedd sighed before dropping it. Zell was startled by his appearance. This boy was as emotionally scarred as any of the others there, and he had the physical scars to go along with that. "Did your father do that to you?" Zell asked gently.

"Yes, Sir..." Zedd replied, not looking at him.

"My boy..." He shook his head. "Welcome to our home. You may stay as long as you need, so long as you protect our secret."

Zedd looked startled. He also looked like he might cry, but he managed not to. "Thank you, Great Zell... Your kindness can never be repaid, but I shall try."

"You will be expected to help out on the land... Do you have any skills for a farm?"

"I have learned to ride a horse... Perhaps I can care for them as well."

"That will do. Go on now."

"I told you he would let you stay," Galaxia said cheerfully. "Come, Zedd. I shall find you a room." She practically dragged the boy away.

"That was very kind of you, Zell," Alpha said. "The boy needed our help."

"Indeed he did," Zell agreed. "He shall be safe here, Alpha. That is what matters." He didn't add that he had greater plans for Zedd. All would be revealed in time.

ZORDON

Training his charges was proving to be difficult. None of them knew what the hell they were doing in a real battle except for Dimitri. It seemed Dimitri's fatal flaw was he tried too hard, but Zordon suspected this was because he was the only one who understood the true weight of what they were facing.

"So, who are our enemies, anyway?" Raven asked. "Who is it we train to fight?"

"Father has only told me a great evil is coming, and you are destined to destroy it. Before it shows itself, however, you will likely face many lesser evils..." He hesitated. "It is even possible you shall eventually have to face Master Vile."

Morgana stiffened. "I cannot," she said.

"Be calm, Morgana," Zordon said. "You shall not face him any time soon, and when you do, you shall be ready, and you shall not be alone."

"Please... Anyone except him."

"I shall protect you, Morgana," Dimitri promised. "He shall never see you."

"Father did not want me to tell you that. He thought it would frighten you... But you have a right to know, to prepare. How can he expect you to fight if you are unprepared?" Zordon asked. "Morgana, you have my word, I will not allow him near you." He felt for the girl. She was so terrified, and it was clear Master Vile had put her through a special form of hell.

"You do not like your father much, do you, Zordon?" Galaxia asked.

"Of course I do. He is my father. I love him, and I am loyal to him... However, I do not always agree with his decisions. I fear he is a bit out of touch with things of an emotional nature."

"Why is he in that tube?" Quintus asked.

"Father is too powerful to exist fully in this time. He exists outside of the bounds of time and space, and the energy tube allows him to stay in one place. He can exit it periodically, but only for short spans of time."

"So you don't get to see him in his body?" Raven asked.

"It is rare. Father left the tube to ensure my mother conceived me. He stayed with her for a time, until he no longer could, but he came back frequently until..." Zordon looked away.

"Until what?" Galaxia asked.

"Until my mother perished."

"I am sorry... How did she die?"

"A creature came in the night, cloaked. I never saw his face... He cast a spell upon me so I could not move and I was forced to watch as he slaughtered her. I was six."

"Zordon..." Morgana said in horror.

"It was years ago. I have moved on. Father came and kept himself on Eltar after that. He was in the tube most of the time, but every few weeks, he would take time outside of it and spend genuine time with me." He paused. "Do not feel sorry for me. I have my father. I am fine."

"You were too young to lose your mother," Dimitri said.

"As were you, Dimitri. There is never a good age to lose one's mother." He took a deep breath. "Back to training, everyone! There is no time for this now."

He refused to allow himself to think of it. He still had nightmares about the night he'd lost his mother. He had been helpless, and she had been brutally killed before his eyes when he was too young to understand exactly what was happening. All he'd known was someone was hurting his mother, whom he adored, and that he could not save her. Afterward, when the beast had left, he'd slowly gained the ability to move again. He had crawled to her and tried to wake her. When that had failed, he had simply curled up beside her and wept, crying for her to answer him. A neighbor had discovered him in that very spot, two days later, refusing to leave his mother. That was when his father had been notified, and he had finally come home.

Everything had been as well as it could be for a boy with no mother and a part-time father, but Zordon had managed. He had friends. He had hobbies. He had a life. That was until his father, in his infinite wisdom, had seen that he was needed elsewhere. He'd left Zordon behind for three months, promising to return. When he had, he'd dragged his son to another planet to babysit children who were older than he was. To say this displeased Zordon was an understatement. He loved his father, but that man had some nerve!

"Zordon..." Caius called gently.

"Yes, Caius?" Zordon asked, returning to the present.

"You are here to protect and guide us. I know this... However, should you ever need someone to confide in... I shall gladly listen."

Zordon was surprised. "That is kind of you, but I am fine."

"Your kindness that first day is not forgotten. I will happily repay you for it."

"Thank you, Caius. I am well. Do not worry about me."

Caius nodded, accepting his dismissal. Zordon smiled sadly. Caius was a good soul. That much was clear. As much as Zordon was displeased to be saddled with these charges, he was beginning to see them as more than a burden. Morgana was stronger than she knew and cared deeply for others. Dimitri was an impressive and loyal warrior. Raven's light was so strong it soothed even his pain. Quintus was extremely funny and it was hard to be upset around him. Galaxia was trouble, certainly, but he admired her spirit and enjoyed talking to her. Perhaps these people could be more than simply his responsibility. Perhaps they could be his friends. Zordon really missed having friends. It might not be what his father had intended, but what was the harm in letting them in a bit? He deserved to have people to talk to other than his father and Alpha.

GALAXIA

Since she'd taken the room furthest into the hallway, Galaxia had an empty room beside her. That's where she had set Zedd up. She liked having him so close.

"Thank you, Xia," Zedd said. "For all you have done for me."

"You can repay me," she said mysteriously.

"Certainly. How?"

She pushed him down on his bed and kissed him hard. They were alone with no need to worry about someone discovering them. She took advantage of that and began going further. Galaxia was insanely attracted to him. It wasn't simply that he was a handsome incubus, although he certainly was. Zedd understood her in a way others did not, just as she understood him. She had never connected to someone as quickly or as deeply as she had connected to Zedd.

Always one to go for what she wanted, Galaxia began to go further. Zedd moaned as she touched him. He sighed her name, which only fueled her passion. Soon, their bodies came together and it was the most intense thing she had ever felt. She might hardly know the boy, but nothing had ever felt so right in her life.

Zedd proved to be quite the talented incubus. Galaxia enjoyed herself even more than she'd expected to. When they finally separated, they lay beside each other, sweaty and naked. She looked into his eyes.

"I love you," she said firmly. "Be mine forever?"

He laughed. "Is it not a bit soon for that?" He asked, trying to catch his breath.

"It is. I do not care. Just say it, Zedd. Tell me you feel as I do."

"I do, Xia... I love you. I want to stay with you always." He smiled at her sadly. "This is well worth the price of my father's wrath."

"I am sorry he hurt you." She felt terrible about that. She'd encouraged his behavior knowing his father might harm him.

"I am not. It is you who finally gave me the courage to leave, Xia. You are everything I want, and you are worth suffering a bit of pain."

"It was quite more than a bit, Zedd."

"It no longer matters. We are together."

"That we are." She kissed him again, and things picked up from there. Galaxia couldn't remember the last time she'd been that happy.

RITA

She was playing in the meadow again. She liked it there. It continued to bring her peace. It was quite unexpected when a monster jumped out at her.

"Hello..." Rita said cautiously. "Who are you?"

"I am HammerAx! I have come to destroy you!" The monster replied.

"Destroy me? I do not understand. Why would you destroy me?"

"You are in my path! I destroy all in my path!"

Rita frowned. Then she walked up to the monster, got on her tiptoes, and as he leaned down to get in her face, she kissed his cheek. The monster's eyes went wide, and then he shrank back and giggled shyly. Rita smiled.

"Better?" She asked.

"Awww, what was that for?" HammerAx asked.

"You needed a kiss. Want a hug, too?"

"Okay!"

Rita hugged the monster. He seemed much happier now. That was when her father appeared. He blew the monster up.

"Why did you do that?" Rita asked in horror.

"You were supposed to attack the monster, Rita, not befriend it!" Her father said.

"I did not know that! He did nothing, Father!"

"It was a test. You are quite powerful, my daughter. I was hoping to see a demonstration from you, but instead, you kissed him!"

"It calmed him."

"Rita, my dear girl, you are evil. You must learn to embrace that." He shook his head. "Perhaps I must make you older, so you can understand."

"You wish to age me?"

"Yes. Seven is too young. You are innocent and pure... You must outgrow that." He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her back to his realm, not noticing the cat, who she'd tucked into her bag before he showed up. The cat was her dearest friend, and she was glad she'd been able to sneak her into her home.

The spell he cast made her skin tingle. After a few minutes, Rita began to grow. Her mind was filled with new knowledge that hit her so fast, she could not even figure out what she knew. When she finally stopped growing, she stared at her reflection.

"There! You are thirteen, my daughter. You will begin your magical training immediately, and you will be more powerful than ever," her father said.

Rita continued staring at her reflection once she was alone. She supposed she was pretty, although she could not be certain. Her hair was long and dark and her eyes were still filled with wonder and magic. She looked very different, and no one would recognize her, but barely anyone had met her before anyway.

She looked at her cat. "Do you know who I am?" She asked. The cat meowed in response before rubbing her face against Rita's. Rita smiled. "Good kitty!" She hugged the cat to her chest and decided that as long as her cat still recognized her, everything would be fine.


	4. Chapter Four

ZORDON

Their first battle came far sooner than they had expected. "Children..." His father said after summoning them all there. "It is time. Master Vile has sent a monster to the marketplace. Hundreds of innocent lives are at risk. It is time to test your skills. Go now."

Zordon saw the way Morgana cringed at the mention of Master Vile. Dimitri automatically stepped closer to her protectively. "Father... Are you certain they are ready?" Zordon asked cautiously.

"I have complete faith in this team, my son."

"Come, then. You are ready," Zordon said. He began to lead the way.

"Only the team may go, Zordon," his father said harshly. "You shall remain here. Prepare the house for their return. Have the stable boy assist you."

"You are sending them into their first battle and you wish for me to remain behind to clean? Father, they need me."

"They must prove they are worthy on their own. Go now, Children. Galaxia, open a portal to the marketplace and transport the team. Dimitri, remember, you are the leader. It is your responsibility to protect your team."

"With all that I possess," Dimitri vowed.

Zordon watched in horror as the team left. He prayed they were prepared, but he worried they were not yet ready to be on their own.

"Zordon... It is not your job to fight these battles," his father said harshly. "You are here merely to watch over them and keep the farm and house functional for them."

"I have been guiding them in your absence! You gave them power and no training and expected them to fight this battle for you, but I trained them! You would have sent them completely unprepared to be slaughtered!"

His father looked furious and Zordon immediately regretted his words. "My son..." He said in a warning tone. "My methods are beyond your comprehension, but I assure you, they will make them stronger. You were meant to encourage, guide, and care for the needs of this team, not lead it."

"Someone had to lead them, Father! They were unprepared. They would not have survived battle."

His father stepped out of the energy tube and Zordon automatically took a step back. "You forget, Zordon, who is in charge here. I am your father. Such disrespect shall not be tolerated."

"I am sorry, Father," Zordon said quickly.

"Come here, my son." He motioned for Zordon to come closer. Zordon reluctantly obliged. His father hugged him, and Zordon began to relax until his father dug his fingers into his shoulders and whispered harshly, "Do not ever question me on such matters again." He continued digging his fingers in deeper.

"Yes, Father. My deepest apologies. I know your wisdom far exceeds mine," Zordon said quickly.

His father released him. Zordon rubbed his shoulder automatically. "Oh, my boy! Did I hold you too tightly? My apologies. I cannot always tell my own strength when I first emerge."

"All is well, Father," Zordon replied with a brave smile. He had believed such claims as a child, but as he had grown older, he realized his father's lack of the ability to control his strength only seemed to be an issue when he made him angry.

It is your own fault, he reminded himself. He routinely did things just to anger his father. Perhaps Zordon simply craved the attention from his father that most boys received automatically, or perhaps he was simply a horrible person, but Zordon took every opportunity to rebel. He had grown his hair out to spite his father. He had also pierced his ear with a golden hoop because he knew it would horrify him. It had worked. His father had ripped the hoop right out of Zordon's ear, leaving him screaming and in severe pain. Zordon had eventually healed and had done it again, just to prove his father had not broken him. His father had given up after that. Certainly, any father would be a bit violent toward a boy like him. He was practically forcing his hand.

As Zordon began cleaning up the house, he could practically hear his father telling him he was not good enough. He had to work harder if he ever hoped to be a fraction as good as his father was. As Zordon lifted up a heavy bag of garbage, he cried out. His shoulders hurt.

To his surprise, Zedd grabbed the bag from him. "Are you well, Zordon?" He asked.

Zordon was still getting used to Zedd. He had only been at the farm for a few days, and he spent nearly all of his time with Galaxia. This was the first time he'd done more than politely say hello or goodbye.

"I am fine," Zordon lied.

"You are hurt," Zedd said.

"It is merely a muscle ache."

Zedd looked at Zordon and he knew he saw through the lie. "I can feel the hands which gripped you... Who has hurt you, Zordon?"

"It is nothing, Zedd. We must return to cleaning."

Zedd paused. "Ah. Your father. Interesting, given he lives in that tube." He sighed. "Go rest, Zordon. I shall clean this place up."

"Zedd-"

"You may deny it if you like, but I know the look of a boy covering for the cruelty of his father. Go on, Zordon. All is well. I do not mind cleaning so you may heal."

Zordon might have protested, but he was exhausted. He was also quite worried for the team. He retired to his chambers and tried not to obsess over what might be happening.

DIMITRI

If there was one thing Dimitri was comfortable with, it was battle. He had been trained to use a sword as soon as he could walk. He had never suspected that he would inherit the family sword, but every male in the Scott family was expected to be able to defend the family in times of battle, both physically and magically.

The marketplace was filled with the sound of screams. The monster was enormous and wreaking havoc. Raven raised his sword beside Dimitri. Quintus and Galaxia followed suit. Caius looked on nervously, clearly trying to assess the situation. Morgana stood, frozen in horror.

"Morgana..." Dimitri called urgently. "Stay close to me. I shall protect you." He guided her to his side. The armor Zell had given them manifested on its own. Dimitri prayed it would protect his team from harm.

Together, they began to do what needed to be done. Caius and Quintus focused on getting people out of the monster's path. Raven and Galaxia took turns attacking the monster. Raven was unpredictable, and it appeared the monster simply had not expected a girl to fight as skillfully as Galaxia did.

A tent full of people caught fire. Dimitri saw a haunted look in the eyes of Quintus before he took a deep breath and ran straight into the flames. "Quin!" Dimitri cried out. He began to head toward him, but stopped as Quin emerged with a child in his arms.

"Take her," he said. "They're alive in there, Dimitri. I can save them."

Dimitri took the child, then watched in awe as Quintus slowly rescued several other people. Finally, breathless, he remained outside the tent. "I saved them," he whispered. "All of them..."

"You did well, Quin," Dimitri told him.

Quintus began working to put out the fire. Dimitri realized he did not know where Morgana was. He searched for her frantically. What he finally discovered left him horrified... Morgana stood directly in the monster's path.

MORGANA

She had spent the battle frozen in terror as everyone else fought. She was no warrior. She should not be there. However, when Morgana spotted a girl barely younger than her in the path of the monster, instinct had taken over. Morgana had jumped into its path instead, sending the girl to safety.

"Run!" Morgana told her.

"What about you?" The girl asked. She was deeply familiar, but Morgana could not take the time to question why. They were still in immediate danger.

"I shall be well. Go, please! Be safe!"

The girl fled and Morgana felt something strange come over her. Suddenly, magic burst from her, knocking the monster back. It stared at her in confusion. She took the opportunity to release another powerful burst of energy.

You can do this, she told herself. You have trained for this, long before you met this group. You are a witch. Act like it!

The monster tried again to attack. Morgana hit it with everything she had and watched as it screamed before vanishing.

"Impressive!" Galaxia declared. "I had no idea you had that in you!"

"Nor did I," Morgana admitted. She might not defend herself, but when others were in danger, she could and would protect them.

"Morgana!" Dimitri cried. "Are you well?"

"I am," Morgana replied.

"That was incredible... You destroyed it!"

"It appears so, yes."

Dimitri pulled her into his arms and hugged her. Morgana rested her head on his shoulder, finally allowing herself to breathe again. It was over. They had won their first battle.

RITA

She had not suspected a trip to the marketplace might be dangerous. Rita simply wanted to explore it and perhaps bring home a few trinkets. Instead, a monster had nearly killed her. The girl who'd saved her life had been so courageous. Rita looked around afterward, hoping to thank her, but she had vanished.

Suddenly, Rita became overwhelmed with a sense of loss she could not explain. It felt like the missing girl was important to her, but she had never seen her before. She sat on the ground, pulling her knees to her chest, and began to cry, feeling terribly alone. Even as her cat jumped out of her bag to try to comfort her, Rita still cried.

"Hey, now..." A voice said gently. "What troubles you?"

"I do not know," Rita admitted.

"Perhaps I can help." He picked up a guitar someone had discarded in their panic and began to play a cheerful, upbeat melody. He started dancing around. Rita felt the sun growing stronger. It lifted her spirits in a way she had not thought possible. Soon, she was no longer crying, and as the boy continued to dance around and play his guitar, she joined him, lifting her arms into the air and spinning as fast as she could.

"Raven! We must leave now," a girl Rita recognized called to the boy. She had been the one who saved her with the blue boy.

I would like to see him again, Rita thought. The blue boy had heroically saved her life. He was strange looking, but not in a scary way, and she was quite drawn to him. Unfortunately, he did not appear to be anywhere around.

The girl looked right past her and she knew she did not recognize her. The boy called Raven smiled at Rita kindly. "Do you feel better now?" He asked.

"I do. Thank you," Rita replied.

Raven bowed to her before putting the guitar back where he had found it and leaving with the girl. Rita picked up her cat and said, "Perhaps it is time we go home." That thought generally made Rita sad, but she was at peace with it now. Raven's light remained inside of her. She hoped the effect would last forever, but she suspected that was not the case. For the time being, she would hold onto it while it lasted.

ZEDD

When the team came home, Zordon was still out cold. Zedd wondered what had drained his energy, but he chose not to look into it. Some things were not for him to know.

As Galaxia came in, he flung his arms around her. "I was worried," he admitted.

"I am well, Zedd. We all survived our first battle!" Galaxia replied. "And our dear Morgana destroyed the thing!"

Zedd looked to Morgana with respect. "I knew you could do it," he said. "I sense great power inside of you, Morgana."

Morgana stared at her feet self-consciously. Zedd knew not to push further. She was not yet ready to fully accept her own strength.

"I have prepared your meal tonight," Zedd said. "I do hope it is acceptable."

"Where is Zordon?" Dimitri asked.

"Not feeling well. He is resting."

Suddenly, Caius collapsed, clutching his side. "Caius!" Galaxia cried.

"He is wounded," Zedd said. He lifted the shirt Caius wore, revealing a deep gash in his side.

"Caius! Why did you not tell us?" Dimitri asked urgently.

"You had others to worry about. I could not be a distraction," Caius managed to say.

Zedd knelt beside him. "My friend... Allow me to help," he said gently. He focused his energy on the gash, willing Caius to accept what he poured into him. Finally, the wound began to heal. When he finally released Caius, the boy looked better than he had before his injury.

"You are a healer?" Caius asked in surprise.

"I am an incubus. I can heal myself, generally... However, with practice, I learned it works on others as well," Zedd explained.

"You just became even more attractive," Galaxia said. "Come. Let me replenish your energy." She grinned at him suggestively.

"As tempting as that may be, I must feed you all. The battle took much strength. Food shall help."

"Very well... Afterward, then."

The Chosen sat at the table as Zedd retrieved the food. For the first time, all of them seemed to be paying attention to him. He looked at them. "What?" He asked. "Do I have some dirt on my face?" He added sarcastically.

"You have gifts," Raven said. "Gifts you can control, at that. We simply wonder why you are a stable boy while we are meant to save the world."

Zedd shrugged. "I like horses," he said casually. In truth, he believed he could not ever be one of them. He was an incubus. His blood was far too tainted to ever allow him to join them. Still, he was content to have it remain this way. He was their stable boy, yes, but he believed he could grow to become their friend. Zedd had never been allowed to have friends before.

If nothing else, he was Galaxia's love, and that alone made his life far better than he had ever dreamed it could be.

"Zedd?" Quintus called.

"Yes, Quin?" Zedd asked.

"You should cook from now on... This is far better than what Zordon attempted. Also, you are my new favorite housemate."

Zedd laughed. "Thank you, Quin. That is very kind."

"I'm easy to please. Keep me in a steady supply of food this delicious and I shall be loyal to you for eternity."

"Someone should mention that to any girl looking to earn Quin's affection," Raven said with a laugh.

"Forget girls. If this meal were a person, I'd marry it!" Quintus shoveled more food into his mouth.

"I think he has just proposed to you, Zedd," Galaxia said. "Should I be jealous?"

"Never," Zedd said. "As wonderful as Quin here is, none can compare to you."

Galaxia smiled at him. "Right answer," she said. She stood and took his arm. "Come, Zedd. Someone else can clean up."

"With Zordon resting, it is my job," Zedd reminded her.

"I can do it," Morgana offered. "You have done much for us, Zedd. I do not mind. Cleaning quiets my mind."

Zedd smiled at Galaxia. "Shall we?" He asked. Together, they retired to his chambers.

ZELL

His Chosen had done well. Zell had not expected them to be so successful, least of all Morgana. He had clearly underestimated her. Then again, it had been her daughter she'd saved. Morgana and Rita might not know that, but he did. Some bonds were so powerful, they inspired the impossible in people. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was going to need to keep Rita far away from her mother if his plan was to succeed.

I did not send her into labor so she could fight, he thought. Ensuring Master Vile took Rita away from Morgana had been meant to destroy her spirit, but here she was, inspired to fight when she did not even know who it was she had saved.

Morgana had not been the only surprise. Caius had been fatally wounded. Zell figured the Underworld God would have claimed him, but instead, the boy continued to fight to survive so that he could save others. Somehow, the boy had made it home, and Zell knew Zedd must have been the one to heal him. He would have sensed if it had been Galaxia's energy which had saved the boy's life.

Bringing him here so soon was a mistake, Zell thought. Zedd posed a serious threat to him. He had known that well before he summoned the other Chosen. That was why Zell had not called on the boy with the others. Zedd would one day become Chosen White, the strongest of them all, and the final piece of the team that would give them the ability to bring the prophecy to life.

They shall never find the strength, Zell reminded himself. He had made certain they were at their weakest when he recruited them. That plan had been brilliant. Upon discovering the prophecy, Zell had worked to figure out who the Chosen were. It had taken time, but after careful planning, he had set in motion a plan so intricate, he was certain it could not fail.

Morgana had already been nicely broken, but preventing her from escaping with her daughter had been essential to ensuring she could not rise to power. Her daughter gave Morgana strength, and in truth, she was destined to grow up to become quite a powerful force of good herself. Zell did not intend to allow that.

Dimitri's life had been easy enough to destroy. All Zell had to do was rape his mother. He knew as long as he made certain her husband knew about it, that man would go mad and destroy her. He'd even supplied him with the honey mead. Seeing the future allowed Zell to know Dimitri's gentle baby sister would sacrifice her own life to save his. It had worked out perfectly.

He had hired Raven and his friends to do the job in the cave knowing exactly what evil was trapped inside. He wondered if the boy who inspired such hope in all those around him still heard the screams of his dying friends when he slept.

Caius had been the most complicated. Zell had met with the High Mystic and convinced him to bring the boy to his land to study and learn more about the Mystics. Caius was a scholar, but Zell had seen that his destiny was entwined deeply with the High Mystic's own wife. The boy was so pure, he worried he would not give in to primal urges, but the connection between the two was so strong, he ultimately did.

Galaxia's mother had needed help to destroy that city. Zell had helped her brew the potion. He knew Galaxia would destroy her mother to save others, but he had not expected it to leave the girl so unscathed. She was much stronger emotionally than he had anticipated, and she broke rules. She had brought Zedd to him, something none of the others would dare have pulled. She was going to be trouble.

Quintus had been more difficult to locate. He knew the boy lived in a tight-knit farming village, but did not learn his identity. Seeing as how he was meant to be fireproof, Zell had sent the fire monster to destroy the village, knowing only the Chosen Gold would be able to survive. Although Quintus laughed and acted perfectly fine, Zell knew he had been deeply traumatized by the loss of everyone he knew.

Zell could not break Zedd so easily. The boy's father had been trying for years. He knew preventing Zedd from joining the team would involve convincing the boy he was worthless. Ultimately, that might not be enough because of his bond with Galaxia. He must do more than simply break Zedd's spirit... He must destroy everything that the boy was.

Zedd, most of all, cannot walk his destined path, Zell reminded himself. He could not allow the prophecy to come to life. The Chosen were destined to destroy the greatest evil in existence one day... Thanks to Zell taking them on as his own team, the foolish children had no idea that the great evil they were meant to destroy was him.

QUINTUS

He sat in his bedchamber, thinking of a million things. He could not rest, so he left the farm to go exploring. He ended up at the tavern. Quintus began drinking, trying to forget the smell of burning flesh from his village.

The fire at the marketplace had brought it all back. His parents, dead and burning in their bed. His friends, each of which had met the same exact fate. The village elders, burnt beyond recognition. The babies in their cribs, helpless to save themselves even if they had awakened. The children in his neighbor's house, clinging to each other for comfort. He suspected they had woken up somehow, but had been too terrified to flee their bedchamber. He had known Liang and Ming since they had been born, respectively eight and six years earlier. The brother had been the eldest, and he was fiercely protective of Ming, who worshipped the ground her brother walked on. The two children were always smiling and laughing and ran around following Quintus because Liang wanted to grow up to be just like him.

Except he shall never grow up now, Quintus thought. He downed another drink. He had no money of his own, but he had raided the collective fund Zordon had set up for them "for emergencies." He reminded himself not to spend too much of it. Luckily, the drinks here were cheap.

A gorgeous girl sat at the bar. She smiled at him, and Quintus took that as an invitation. He was hurting, lonely, and a bit drunk. Some companionship would solve at least one of those problems.

Always the charmer, Quintus quickly had the girl laughing and flirting with him. An hour later, they were in her bedchamber. Soon enough, Quintus pushed his grief to the back of his mind. He remembered the marketplace instead.

You saved them, he thought. You saved every last person in that tent. They survived. You finally saved someone. Stop dwelling on the losses and celebrate that instead.

He lost himself in his date's embrace. Hattie seemed to be enjoying herself, and Quintus was finally able to focus on her beauty and her laugh.

"Will I see you again, Quin?" She asked afterward.

"I certainly hope so, Miss Hattie," he replied. He kissed her a final time before leaving, knowing he had to return to the farm.

THE NEXT MORNING.

CAIUS

He was reading when suddenly, the world shifted. He still wasn't used to these visions. He watched, trying to absorb as many details as he could.

Several images flashed through his mind. Morgana holding a baby blanket and sobbing. Dimitri's sword covered in blood. Raven trying to encourage them in their darkest hour. Quintus holding a baby boy and laughing. Galaxia screaming in grief and anger. Zordon being flung across a room by an invisible force. Zedd riding into battle on Winifred the horse. A little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes who appeared innocent but was deeply evil. A different, darker-featured girl, who began as purely good being turned into something evil. Finally, and most terrifying of all, a grave marker that left Caius with a grief inside of his heart that threatened to destroy him.

Caius returned to the present and found himself in tears. Whose grave had that been? Was it the reason for Galaxia's grief? Whose blood was on Dimitri's sword? Why was Zedd in battle beside them? Did Morgana finding the blanket reveal that her daughter was, in fact, dead? Who were the two girls? Why was Quintus holding a baby? Who or what would attack Zordon?

He shook his head, overwhelmed with too many clues and far too few answers. Caius had not discussed his visions with the others for the most part. He wondered now if he should at least ask Zell for help. He was their mentor, after all. He decided to give it a try.

"Caius, my boy..." Zell said once Caius had explained his vision. "That is much to hold inside of yourself. To know the future is both a wonderful gift and a terrible curse... Let me try to ease your mind. Morgana's daughter is dead. I am certain that is what you saw. Dimitri most likely bloodied his sword in battle. Raven, of course, is always your inspiration and hope. I do not see Zedd joining you in battle. That is not his path. Perhaps you merely saw him as Galaxia does. She quite fancies the boy. As for her grief, death always comes eventually. Clearly, whomever is in the grave you saw caused her to mourn. My son must have been caught up in one of your fights when he was attacked. As for the girls, I do not know who they are, but I shall search for them to ease your mind."

"Thank you, Zell," Caius said respectfully.

"Quintus, I can answer definitively. The boy is his son, whose arrival is not as far off as one might think. He met a girl last night."

"What?"

"Quintus left the farm. He snuck off to a bar. Boys will be boys, and he was upset by the fire, most understandably. You must keep this to yourself, Caius. Quintus shall learn of his son in time."

"Are you angry he left?"

"No, just as I was not angry when you left to perform your goodbye ritual."

"You knew?"

"My dear boy, I always know." Zell smiled kindly at him. "You have all been through much in your young lives. It is understandable you will occasionally rebel. You must be allowed to heal." Zell paused. "Go on, dear boy. I shall work to decipher the rest of your vision."

Caius bowed and left. He was not sure how to keep this news from Quintus, but he understood to protect the future, it was vital not to reveal things before their time.

THREE DAYS LATER.

RITA

The meadow was still her favorite place. Rita was sitting there looking into the mists when she heard a strange sound. She realized someone was walking by, and she nearly hid before she saw it was the blue boy who had saved her life. She might have called out to him, but suddenly, she felt a keen sense of danger.

She saw the creature at her side as it slithered closer. This beast was not friendly like the others. It hissed at her and Rita let out a startled cry as it attacked, biting her.

The blue boy rushed to her side. "Stay very still," he cautioned. Then he took a sword and impaled the thing that had bitten her. He looked at her. "Are you hurt?" He asked.

"It bit me!" Rita said frantically. She was panicking as the poison from its bite began to spread.

"Try to remain calm. Steady your breathing. Panic will only spread the venom faster."

"Please... I'm frightened," she admitted.

He looked at her kindly. "I can reverse it. Do you trust me?"

Rita nodded. The blue boy began using magic and she felt the venom leaving her veins. Finally, she could breathe again, and she flung her arms around the boy. "Thank you!" She cried.

He seemed surprised by the hug. He relaxed after a moment and hugged her back. "You are safe now," he promised her.

"What is your name?" Rita asked.

"I am Zordon... And you?"

She hadn't thought about the possibility of him asking her that. Something told her that revealing her true identity would get her into a lot of trouble. She looked around for an idea, but all she saw was mist.

"Mist..." She said aloud. Zordon looked at her oddly and she quickly corrected herself. "Misty. Yes, that's it! I am called Misty."

Zordon looked at her with an amused smile. "Are you sure of that? You seem a bit uncertain," he teased her.

"I am Misty, and you are Zordon, and I am most grateful for your heroic decision to rescue me." Again, she added silently. "How may I repay you?"

"There is no repayment necessary." He bowed to her respectfully.

Rita kissed his cheek. He looked into her eyes then as he stood fully upright. She liked his eyes. They were both passionate and kind, although right now, they looked a bit confused.

"May I accompany you home?" Zordon asked. "I wish to ensure you arrive there safely."

"I fear that is not possible," Rita replied. "My father would frown upon it." She paused. "Perhaps we can stay here together for a bit? In case any other snakes come seeking me."

"Certainly."

They stayed together for quite a while. The more they talked, the more the funny blue boy made her laugh. She rather liked Zordon. The sun had set before Rita knew she needed to return home.

"I wish to see you again, Zordon. May we meet?" She asked.

"Yes," Zordon said quickly, making Rita wonder if he liked her, too. "When?"

"In two day's time, I shall be allowed to return to this place. Seek me as the sun is at its brightest."

"I look forward to it, Misty. Until then..." He kissed her hand before leaving.

Rita squeaked in delight once she was alone. Not only had she found the blue boy, but he had agreed to see her again.

"He is brave, kind, and handsome," Rita told her cat. The cat meowed in apparent agreement. Rita allowed herself to daydream as she headed home. Her life was full of magic training and her father's mood swings. What if she could live the life of a normal girl? She could visit the meadow whenever she pleased, and find adventure and perhaps even love with the handsome blue boy who had saved her life twice. Was it possible? She desperately wanted to find out.

ZORDON

He felt inexplicably happy at the prospect of seeing Misty again. Zordon went home smiling for the first time in ages. There was something about that girl...

"My son." His father summoned him in his mind.

Zordon sighed before heading downstairs, knowing his father was most likely about to ruin his good mood. "Yes, Father?" Zordon asked.

"Where were you?"

Zordon worked hard to shield his own mind. It was difficult to keep secrets from his father, but on occasion, Zordon liked to have moments that were just his. Misty was not someone his father needed to know about. He looked at him and replied casually, "I was walking in the meadow. I needed to clear my mind."

His father frowned. "Why do you lie to me?"

"That is not a lie. I had much on my mind. Walking helps me focus."

"You were not alone. Who did you meet, Zordon?"

"Just a local girl, Father. She encountered a snake. I helped her."

"That is not-"

"...Why I am here," Zordon finished for him. "I know, Father, but did you expect me to leave the girl to die?"

"Of course not. You did well, my son, but from now on, leave the heroics to the Chosen. You are but a boy."

"I have abilities, Father. I can help-"

"You help by caring for the needs of the Chosen. Stop risking your life, Zordon. That is not your purpose."

"What is, then?" Zordon demanded. "If I am merely here to keep house, send me home! You have Zedd for that now. If I am meant for more, then allow me to do something, damn you! "

Suddenly, Zordon felt a force fling him across the room and into the wall. He hit his head hard and the room began to spin.

"Do not take such a tone with me," his father said coldly. "I am your father. You will respect me."

Zordon felt true fear in his heart. Normally, his father was more subtle about his anger. This attack had been quite clear. He touched his head and his hand came away with blood. He stared at his father, trembling.

"Oh, Zordon, my son! I did not mean to hurt you! I was simply trying to make a point, and the energy burst happened... Are you well?" His father asked, feigning concern. Zordon wanted to believe him, but it was difficult.

"All is well, Father," Zordon managed to say. His head hurt more than it ever had before. Zordon was barely able to focus. He forced himself to stand and excused himself, fleeing the underground room. He ran to his chambers, and only once he had closed the door did he allow himself to cry.

I should not have cursed at him, he told himself. That was wrong. All he asks is that I respect him, as any son should respect his father.

After a bit, a gentle knock on his door caused him to jump. Zordon quickly stood and composed himself before answering the door. Zedd stood on the other side. "What is it, Zedd?" Zordon asked.

Zedd cautiously reached toward his head. After a few moments, the pain was gone. "I sensed you were injured," Zedd said softly. "Would you like to talk about it?"

"No."

"I thought not. Goodnight, Zordon." Zedd turned to leave.

"Wait." Zordon looked at him. "Thank you, Zedd."

"Of course."

"Please keep this between us."

"If that is your wish... But Zordon... You do not have to face this alone. Xia taught me that. I understand having a father who enjoys inflicting pain upon his son."

"I appreciate your kindness, but my father is not like yours. He meant me no harm. "

"Pardon, Zordon, but your head wound told me a different tale."

"It was an energy burst from the tube. It happens sometimes. And before you ask, my shoulders were an accident. He does not know his body's strength when he first comes out of the tube. He only hugged me."

Zedd looked at him with eyes that clearly saw through these stories. "Very well. My mistake... However, should you ever wish to discuss your father's unfortunate frequency of accidents, I shall happily listen."

Zordon nodded and said nothing as Zedd left. He knew his father had deliberately hurt him, but he also knew he had provoked him. His father was the greatest force of good in all the worlds. If he felt Zordon needed to be disciplined, it was true, and no one in the universe would dare to question that.


	5. Chapter Five

RAVEN

He woke feeling unusual. Raven looked around and nothing seemed out of place, but his mind would not rest. He shrugged and picked up his flute. Raven could play nearly any musical instrument, and it always soothed him and everyone around him. He had recently realized that if he played music or sang, his light burst from him even stronger.

"Such a pretty melody," Galaxia said from his door. "What is it?"

"I call it Dreams of Sunrise," Raven replied.

"Lovely," she said, nodding in approval. Soon, everyone rose from their beds, and as they did, the team gathered in his room as he continued to play. Even Morgana was smiling brightly.

"You have quite a talent," Dimitri told him.

"Thank you, my friend," Raven replied. "I call this one To Walk with Friends." He began playing the song, which had once been his favorite. Now, it caused his heart a bit of pain. He had written the song for his closest friends. All of them were dead now. Still, Raven played the song. He had new friends to walk with. The path did not have to be a lonely one.

Etain loved this one, he recalled. He would not approve if I chose to never play it again. He wondered if Etain and the others were listening to him play now. He could almost feel them as he played, and he liked to think that they still enjoyed the melody from wherever they existed now.

Too inspired to stop now, Raven pulled out his guitar and switched to another song. Still, everyone listened intently and for the first time ever, they all seemed to be at peace.

He noticed Zordon standing in the doorway watching them. "Come in, Friend," Raven said. "All are welcome."

"That is kind of you," Zordon said, "but I have come to tell you breakfast is prepared."

"Let him finish this one," Quintus said.

"Of course."

Afterward, Raven realized one housemate had not joined them. "Where is Zedd?" He asked.

"He was asleep when I came," Galaxia replied. "I supposed I should wake him so he may eat with us." She seemed concerned. Raven knew why. Zedd was an early riser, usually up before any of them. He was also the one who generally cooked breakfast and every other meal now, so the fact that Zordon had cooked implied trouble.

"Go on. I shall fetch him," Raven said. He sent the others on their way before getting dressed in proper clothing. Then he headed toward Zedd's room. He could hear the sound of muffled screams, so he forced the door open. What he saw was not a boy under physical attack, but it was clear his own mind was tormenting him.

"Zedd? Zedd, wake up, my friend..." Raven said urgently. When that did not work, Raven gently shook the boy.

ZEDD

There was a reason he did not like to sleep. In his waking life, Zedd could distract himself from the memories of his past, but when he slept, they always came back to him. That morning was one of the worse ones.

He was alone in a dark room. His father walked in and immediately attacked him. "Foolish boy! You are weak! You are nothing!" He shouted. He forced Zedd onto his knees and made him remove his shirt before he began beating his back with his favorite staff.

"What is my crime?" Zedd demanded. "For what am I being punished?"

"You were gentle with the girl I ordered you to take! You showed her mercy! You disgust me!"

"She was a child, Father!" The girl had been the six-year-old daughter of one of his father's rivals. Zedd hadn't wanted to touch her at all.

"I will show you how to do this correctly! You will learn, Boy!" That was when his father stopped beating him and switched to other forms of torture. Zedd was used to being raped. He was an incubus, and as far as his father was concerned, it was part of his training to just shut up and take it when someone wanted to force themselves on him. His father routinely used this method to "teach" him. It didn't make it any easier to stomach, especially when he was so angry. He was much more violent when Zedd angered him, and Zedd was uncertain how much more he could take.

"Stop... Please stop..." Zedd whispered.

"Shut up and do as you are told!" His father spat at him before getting even rougher.

"Stop... Stop it... Please... " Zedd whispered aloud.

"Zedd? Zedd, it's me..." A voice said. He knew he should recognize it, but he couldn't focus.

"Stop it! Let me go!" Zedd cried.

Someone shook him. Zedd attacked, tossing the person off of him violently. "Zedd! It is Raven. You are safe. It is only a dream," Raven said urgently.

Zedd was trembling and sobbing. He could not catch his breath. He could not process the words, even though he knew on some level that they were true. He was terrified. He could still feel his father... Every inch of his skin felt like it was under attack.

Suddenly, he heard music. It confused him, but slowly, he began to calm down. He stared at Raven, who was strumming his guitar softly. "All is well, Zedd," Raven promised. "It was a nightmare. You are safe."

Zedd nodded, listening as Raven continued to play. He felt light filling the room, and as it touched him, it transformed him. He was not the weak, frightened boy he had been... He was strong. He had left. He was safe.

"Better?" Raven asked after a few minutes.

"Yes..." Zedd admitted. "Thank you."

"Who were you screaming at, Zedd?" Raven asked gently.

"My father," he admitted. "He has done horrible things to me, Raven... Things no one would dare speak aloud."

"I am sorry for your pain, Zedd... But you are free from him now."

Zedd wished that were true, but he knew that eventually, he would have to face his father again. For now, however, he took comfort in the light Raven had filled his heart with.

"The light has never been for me," Zedd said. "When you are born into an evil family, you are not allowed to embrace such things. I was taught that light would destroy me... Yet it brings me such peace..."

"My light is for everyone, my friend. And I will gladly provide it any time you are in need," Raven promised.

"You do not think me pathetic for my nightmares driving me to tears?"

"No. When someone goes through what you have, it changes them, but it does not make them weak. You are strong, Zedd. You survived a horrible upbringing, and you are far better for it." Raven hesitated before taking Zedd's hand. "I know you try to hide your pain, but I can feel it. You may always talk to me, Zedd. You do not have to be strong for me."

"That is kind of you."

"It is the same offer I make to all my friends... Dimitri, especially, needed to hear those words. He tries to be strong for everyone, but someone should be there for him as well."

"You are wise, Raven."

"I do not know about that, but I am hungry. Get dressed and join us. Zordon has prepared breakfast."

"Oh dear... How late did I sleep?"

"It could have been later."

Zedd nodded. Raven left him and he changed into appropriate clothing before heading out to the others. He smiled and tried to pretend nothing had happened. Galaxia looked at him with concern, but his smile seemed to even reassure her, and soon, they were all laughing and enjoying their meal.

ZORDON

After everyone else had chosen their activities for the day, Zordon snuck out of the house. He headed straight to the meadow, fairly certain Misty would not even be there. When he saw her, he was filled with joy.

"Misty..." He called.

She turned to him and smiled. "Zordon!" She cried. "Come. I have learned something!" She practically dragged him toward the woods. Once there, she raised her arms and closed her eyes. After a moment, the trees began to dance in a powerful wind, bowing down to greet them.

"Where did this wind come from?" Zordon wondered aloud.

"I called it," Misty said excitedly. "I did not know I could, but I wanted the trees to greet me, and then they did! Isn't it wonderful?"

He believed her. He smiled and said, "You did not mention you had magic."

"I did not know if you would believe me."

"You have no reason to lie."

"Look what else I can do," she said. She stood on the tips of her toes and called for something. Suddenly, several birds swooped down and circled them. One landed on her extended finger.

"The animals respond to you," Zordon realized.

"Yes... I have shown no one else. You are the first."

"Why am I special?"

"You make me laugh... I like that. No one else bothers. They just make demands and take what they want from me and ignore me."

"How could anyone ignore you, Misty?" He took her hand in his and she smiled at him shyly.

"Zordon... Is the entire world this beautiful?"

"Well, I have not seen the entire world, but much of it seems to be, yes."

"I like it here. I wish I could spend every day in this place."

"You would grow bored."

"No... I value the quiet and the peace it brings. I would never grow bored of it... Shall we explore? The woods are deep."

"We must be careful."

"I am not afraid. You are with me." She kissed his cheek. Zordon liked it when she did that. Misty was unlike any girl he had ever met, on Earth or on Eltar. She was only two years younger than he was and she was full of light. He appreciated the purity of her heart. His own outlook on life could often be bleak, but Misty made him believe it might get better.

As they walked deeper into the woods, it was as though no one else existed. They were on an adventure and nothing could touch them. He forgot about the team. He forgot about the grief he still felt for his mother. He forgot about the friends he had left on Eltar. Most of all, he forgot about his father. For once, Zordon felt normal and happy, and the weight he carried in his heart was gone.

After an entire day spent together, they had discovered several beautiful spots. They'd encountered several animals, none of them dangerous thankfully, and Misty had played with elemental magic some more. She'd shown him she could make the water in the creek float.

"You are amazing, Misty," Zordon said honestly.

"As are you, my blue friend," Misty replied with another shy smile. "I would like to do this more often... My father does not like me to have friends, but I think I want to be your friend anyway."

"I would like that."

"I come here every two or three days. When I am here, I shall send a bird for you and you shall know to come. Will that do?"

"Yes. Yes, and if I am available, I shall come." Secretly, he hoped he would always be available for her. It was wonderful to have a friend again. As much as he liked the Chosen, he was responsible for them, and it meant they could never completely just be friends to him. Misty was just a girl he had met, and she made him smile. He valued that more than she could ever understand.

When they parted ways, he was again left smiling as he returned home. He made sure to guard his mind, just in case his father was trying to push his way in again. Zedd had just set the dinner table when he arrived.

"Thank you for cooking, Zedd," Zordon said. "I am sorry I stayed away so long."

"You are not," Zedd said with a knowing smile, "but all is well. I do not mind. I have little to contribute here, so I may as well cook."

"You contribute more than you think. The horses adore you, as does our Xia."

"I adore her as well... And the horses. Go get the others, please?"

Zordon gathered up the team and they sat together around the table eating the meal Zedd had prepared. These gatherings were a good time for the team to bond, and Zordon was coming to enjoy them. It was much less lonely when he had people to pass the time with.

THREE MONTHS LATER.

RITA

She eagerly headed toward her room, ready to collect her cat and head to the meadow, when she ran into her father. "What is this?" Her father demanded. He held her cat tightly.

"My kitty," Rita replied cautiously. "She saved my life when I was seven, Father. She got help when I nearly drowned."

"You are not meant to keep pets, Child!" Her father snapped. He tossed the cat to the floor and before Rita could stop him, he destroyed her with one swift spell.

Rita screamed. "My cat! You've killed her! How could you?" She sobbed.

"It had to be done, Rita. You must learn to be evil. Showing kindness to that animal shows your weakness."

"I hate you!" Rita screamed. "Get out! Leave me alone! I hate you! You are evil and horrible and awful and I wish you were dead!"

"Yes, my child. Embrace that anger. It will help you."

"Go!" She shrieked.

Her father left her. Rita cradled her cat in her arms and wept hysterically. Her father had been harsh before, but this had been downright cruel. Determined to never face such cruelty again, Rita packed a bag and fled, leaving the necklace her father had always insisted she wear behind. She wrapped her cat in her favorite blanket, tossed the bag over her shoulder, and fled her home.

She went straight for the meadow. She walked to her cat's favorite spot and began using her hands to dig up the earth. This was not very effective, so she called upon her magic to create a hole, and she buried her beloved companion in the ground. Still hysterical, Rita covered the hole with dirt and whispered, "I am sorry, my dear kitty... I loved you so..."

She stood, covered in dirt. She was still sobbing hard when Zordon appeared. "Misty?" He called. "Misty, what is it? What is the matter?"

She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed harder, needing him to hold her. Zordon obliged, keeping her close and whispering soothing words as she continued to cry. Finally, she whispered, "He murdered my cat."

"What? Who did?" Zordon asked.

"My father... I cannot go back there, Zordon. I refuse!"

"Where will you go?"

She didn't know. She really didn't have anywhere to go. "I am uncertain... I simply refuse to return to him after what he has done... That cat was my dearest friend. She was with me from the first day I walked this land, and she has not left my side, and this is how she was repaid..." She began to sob again.

"Misty... I am so sorry for your pain. How can I help?"

Rita closed her eyes and decided she had to feel something other than this grief. She leaned forward and kissed Zordon on his lips. He was clearly stunned, but after a minute, he kissed her back. He pulled her closer to him and soon, she felt nothing but his touch. For one brief moment, all was forgotten.

"You will come with me," Zordon said when they finally broke the kiss.

"I will?" She asked.

"My father has helped many people across the worlds. He shall help you as well."

"Do you think he really will?"

"I do believe that, yes. It is what he does. Have you heard of the Great Wizard of Eltar, Zell?"

"Only in passing..." Her father routinely cursed Zell's name, but she was not going to say that to his son.

"He has made it his life's mission to help those in need."

Rita allowed Zordon to lead her to the farm he lived on. He made sure no one was around before he led her into a secret room underground. "Father... There is a girl who is in need of your help," Zordon said. "I know it is frowned upon to bring any outsider here, but she is in danger from her father."

A man who was really just an enormous floating head looked up at them. "Leave us, my son. I shall help the girl," he promised.

"All will be well," Zordon promised her. He kissed her quickly and Rita loved how it felt. She could get used to that.

When he left, Zell looked at her. "I am Zell, Great Wizard of Eltar. Tell me your name, Child," he said kindly.

"I am Misty," she said.

"That is not your name," Zell said. "You may tell me the truth, my girl. I shall not harm you."

Rita knew it was pointless to lie now. "My name is Rita," she said. "Rita Repulsa. I am the daughter of Master Vile. I have run away from him. He is cruel, and he... He killed my cat..."

"My poor, dear child..." Zell said. To her great surprise, he stepped out of his energy tube. He turned toward the strange creature watching them. "Leave us, Alpha. Go recharge."

"Yes, Zell," the creature said. He left them alone.

Zell touched Rita's cheek gently. "My dear girl, you have been through so much... You are misunderstood... You have great power within you. It should be celebrated, but instead, your father causes you such emotional pain."

"That cat was my only companion... At least until I met Zordon," Rita explained.

"Yes, I see you fancy my son. I understand now what has brought a smile to his face recently."

"We have been meeting secretly for three months... He is kind to me, and he is funny and brave... He saved my life twice. Your son is a hero."

"Indeed, he is." Zell stroked her arm gently. It made Rita uncomfortable, although she was uncertain as to why.

"Zordon says you can help me."

"I can indeed, my dear girl." He touched her again. Rita took several steps backward.

"Perhaps I should go for now..."

"I can help you become so much stronger, Rita... But first... I must connect to your energy. Perhaps one day, you will join me..." He pulled her closer to him.

Rita struggled to free herself. "I must go," she insisted.

"You are so lovely... The perfect specimen..." Zell's hands wandered where they had no business being. Rita was young and naïve, but she knew this was not appropriate.

"Unhand me," she said. "I do not like the way you are touching me."

Instead of releasing her, Zell pulled her closer. He kissed her, and Rita felt ill. She had enjoyed kissing Zordon very much, but his father was different. This man was not what he appeared. She tried to escape his grasp, but he held her tighter, still forcing her to kiss him. He moved one of his hands down and began to do things Rita knew were unacceptable.

Rita had had enough. She focused her energy and zapped him with it. He jumped back and swore. Then he attacked her. "I tried to be nice!" He said. He flung her across the room so hard, Rita couldn't see straight for a moment. When she had gathered her senses, all she knew was she had to escape. When Zell tried to pin her, Rita sent a spell right at his groin. He cried out in pain and she ran. She nearly made it to the door when a fire sprang up in her path. She shrieked and jumped back to avoid it.

"Now you will pay!" Zell said. "We will do this the hard way!" He shoved Rita into the fire.

The flames hurt even more than she had expected. Although Rita could control the elements, she could not fight this fire. It was not natural. She screamed in agony as everything inside of her burned.

"What is happening to me?" She asked.

"The fire is burning away your purity. All that is good inside of you is being removed. You shall be evil, as your father plans," Zell said.

"No! Leave me alone! Let me go!" Rita begged. She was terrified. She could feel the magic working. Everything that was good in her heart was vanishing, and she was left feeling empty. She wanted to step out of the fire, but she could not move. "I won't be evil!" She cried. "I won't!"

"Yes you will, my child. And you shall be excellent in that role. You shall be legendary, my dear girl."

"Stop this! Release me!"

"No."

"Please... Please do not do this!"

Everything hurt. She could not breathe. Her heart was turning cold. Rita screamed as the last of her good was pulled out of her. Then, she felt nothing. Suddenly, everything seemed amusing. Rita began to laugh. It was no longer the innocent, carefree laugh of a young girl, but the evil cackle of a villain.

"How do you feel, dear Rita?" Zell asked.

"Devilish," Rita replied.

"Excellent. Now attack me."

"What? Why would I attack you?"

"My son must believe you betrayed us."

Zordon, she thought. Her funny blue boy was a powerful force of good, but she was now evil. She could not see him anymore. This made her sad. Perhaps I am not fully evil, she thought. If I were, I would not care for Zordon.

"Your love for my son shall fade over time," Zell promised, reading her thoughts.

"Yes, Great Zell. I understand," Rita said. Then, she attacked him with a powerful spell. It felt good to cast, and the dark magic made her entire body tingle. She laughed as the magic poured out of her, consuming her mind. Finally, she left, ready to return home to her father and learn to rule an evil empire.

ZORDON

He ran downstairs when he heard his father screaming. "Father? Father, what happened?" He asked. His father lay on the floor, too far from his energy tube. "Are you hurt? Where is Misty?"

"The girl attacked me," his father said weakly.

Zordon's heard stopped for a moment. "Impossible. Misty has not got a shred of evil in her. Why would she attack you?"

"She fooled you, my son... She fooled us both."

Zordon helped his father make it back to his energy tube. He sealed him inside so he could heal before saying, "I do not understand. There must be a mistake."

"She lied to you, Zordon. Her name is not Misty... She is Rita, daughter of Master Vile."

"Rita?" Zordon asked. "Morgana's Rita?"

"Indeed. You must never tell her. It would break Morgana's spirit to know what her daughter has become."

"But Rita was an infant! Even if she survived, she would not be a teenager."

"Her father must have aged her to make her into a weapon. She is dangerous, Zordon. She has no good in her now."

"No... No, she is not evil, Father. I know her."

"Yes, apparently you spent the last three months with her. Why did you not tell me of this girl, Zordon?"

"I did not see a reason for you to know... She was my friend."

"Your girlfriend."

"Not in any official manner. We never declared ourselves a couple."

"I am not wrong, though, am I? My poor boy... She has broken your heart."

His heart did ache, but Zordon refused to believe what his father was telling him. Misty could not be evil... Could she?

"Do you need further care, Father?" Zordon asked.

"I will be fine, my son. I was lucky," his father replied.

"Indeed. May I go upstairs now?"

"Yes. Go on. I am sorry, my boy. I know you cared for her deeply."

Zordon practically ran from the room. Misty, or Rita, was evil. How could he have been so foolish? Still, he had difficulty accepting that. His father had been severely injured, yet Zordon felt compelled to defend the girl. Perhaps there was more to the story. He needed to know, but he had no way to find out. Completely distraught, Zordon retired to his chambers and refused to leave for the rest of the day. He curled up on his bed and cried, unsure who to trust or what to believe.

MORGANA

Something was wrong. She felt it with every bone in her body. "Rita..." She whispered, certain something terrible had happened to her daughter.

"Morgana? What is it?" Dimitri asked.

"My daughter... I feel she is in great danger."

"We shall find her."

"What if we are too late?"

"It is never too late, Morgana. Soon, we shall journey to find her." He kissed her hand, then led her to the training area.

"Where is Zordon?" Quintus asked.

"Not here, clearly," Raven replied.

"Day off then! If you need me, I shall be swimming," Galaxia said cheerfully.

"Stay put, Xia," Dimitri said. "In Zordon's absence, I shall lead."

There was a collective groan from most of the others. Morgana looked to him and asked, "What shall we begin with?"

Dimitri smiled, clearly happy she supported him. He began running a training session that was twice as intense as one of Zordon's. Dimitri might work them a bit too hard, but that was because he knew pushing their limits made them stronger. Morgana didn't mind. The more they trained, the better she became in combat, and her confidence had slowly been growing thanks to one-on-one lessons from Dimitri.

Everyone had grown much stronger. Galaxia was an unstoppable force with her magic and her combat skills. Quintus had gained complete control of his fire gifts and that had proven useful several times in battle. Raven kept their spirits up and was a skilled fighter. Caius still fought his gifts, but he had learned to battle, especially with a sword. He had gone from peaceful soul to strong warrior in times of crisis. Dimitri's skills sharpened daily. Raven provided an excellent balance to him in battle, and the two had become inseparable. They were ready for whatever might come.

This turned out to be a good thing, as the alarm went off. They rushed downstairs and awaited instruction. "My Chosen," Zell said, "a powerful monster has been unleashed upon a nearby village. Galaxia shall teleport you there."

"Is it one of Master Vile's creations?" Quintus asked.

"No, Quintus. This creature comes from another... Lord Xylon."

Galaxia froze. "Zedd's father?" She asked.

"Yes," Zell confirmed.

"We have never fought one of his monsters before," Dimitri said. "What must we know?"

"A monster is a monster, Dimitri. Destroy it. I have faith in you. Now, hurry, my Chosen."

They followed the order. Galaxia seemed nervous as they traveled to this battle. It turned out to be a justified fear, as this monster was powerful and angry. Morgana knew they were in trouble when the monster replicated itself. There was a body for each of them.

ZEDD

He was cleaning the stables when Alpha came rushing by. "Alpha? What is wrong?" Zedd asked.

"Lord Xylon is terrorizing a city with his monster, Multiclone," Alpha replied. He fled before Zedd could ask more.

"Multiclone? Oh no..." Zedd said. He knew what that monster was capable of. The Chosen stood no chance on their own. "Damn it to hell," he mumbled. With that, Zedd looked at Winifred. "Up for a fight, Winnie?" He asked his favorite horse.

Winifred rubbed her face against his in response. "Me, too," he said. He climbed into the saddle and raced into a battle he had no business getting involved in.

When he got there, his friends were in trouble. Dimitri had taken his clone down. His sword was covered in blood. Unfortunately, so was Dimitri. Raven didn't look much better, but he was trying to encourage his team to keep fighting. Morgana was holding her clone off with magic, but her power was starting to fade. Caius was doing remarkably well, but Zedd knew Multiclone would find a way to outsmart him eventually. Quintus was wounded and clutching his arm, unable to hold his sword. Worst of all, Galaxia was in a bad position and if she didn't get out of it soon, Multiclone would decapitate her.

Zedd rode his horse toward Galaxia first. "Don't you dare," he warned the monster before taking off his head instead. In one swift motion, he pulled Galaxia up into his arms and helped her settle into the saddle.

"Just when I believed you could not become more attractive..." Galaxia said with a laugh.

He smiled at her before riding toward Quintus. He killed his clone and looked toward Galaxia. "He is hurt, Xia. Help him? I will help the others."

She nodded and he left her with Quintus before riding toward Caius. Before the boy could lose his head, Zedd stabbed his clone through the chest and watched him vanish.

"Thanks, Zedd," Caius said.

"You do not seem surprised to see me," Zedd observed.

"I knew you would be here to save us. I saw this."

Zedd was surprised. He chose not to focus on that, saving Morgana next. He left her in the care of Caius and he rushed to help Dimitri and Raven. He made certain Raven's clone was dead before he got off of Winifred and began to heal Dimitri.

"Easy, my friend," he said gently. "Let me finish this."

"The others..." Dimitri mumbled.

"All are safe. Morgana is with Caius. Both are unharmed. As you see, Raven is safe. Xia is healing Quin as we speak."

"What are you doing here?"

"Breaking rules, I suppose..."

"Nonsense! You fight well by our side," Raven said. "We would not have survived had you not arrived."

"I am not one of the Chosen."

"Perhaps we should change that."

"I am fairly certain one cannot change destiny."

Galaxia joined them. "Quin is fine," she said. "Now kiss me."

"Is that a command?" Zedd asked.

"Yes."

He laughed and happily kissed her. He knew they needed to leave, so he cut the kiss short. "Let us go before my father decides to pay us a visit," he said.

"Excellent idea," Quintus said as he joined them. Once everyone had gathered together, Galaxia opened a portal.

"I shall meet you at home, then," Zedd said.

"Winnie is welcome in my portal," Galaxia said. "As are you. Come with us."

"Zell will be displeased."

"Zell's opinion does not matter here. You saved us, Zedd. You are a hero. I insist you come with us."

Zedd knew better than to argue. He got back in the saddle and rode Winifred through the portal. The horse didn't seem to mind the supernatural method of travel.

It had felt good riding in to the rescue, but Zedd knew it was a one-time thing. He was no one special. He certainly was not one of the Chosen. He needed to remember his place.

"I must finish cleaning the stables," he said.

"No, join us," Galaxia said.

"My beloved... I left them a mess so I could go rescue you. Allow me to do what I am meant to."

"Fine, but find me afterward. I am in the mood to celebrate."

He smiled, eager to find out what she had in mind. It kept his mood elevated even as he cleaned the stables.

GALAXIA

She was in excellent spirits until she walked past Zordon's door. She heard a sound she had not expected and realized that Zordon was crying.

It is Zordon... Will he be upset if I knock on his door to check on him? She wondered.

When something crashed against the wall, she knew she needed to do it anyway. She knocked and waited for a response. When she got none, she shrugged and opened the door.

"What is it, Xia?" Zordon snapped before she'd finished opening the door.

"How did you know it was me?" Galaxia asked.

"No one else would dare open that door."

"Zordon... I heard a crash. Are you well?"

"I am fine. The crash was my chair hitting the wall."

"Why did you throw your chair?"

"It was mocking me."

She looked at him skeptically. "Mocking you?"

"Alright, perhaps it was just sitting there, but it was being useless and I needed help, not uselessness."

"What is wrong?" She was concerned. Zordon never got emotional like this.

"I cannot speak of that, Xia. Not yet. I shall say only that today, I failed a friend... And I have much guilt over that."

"I am sure it was not your fault."

"My decision made things worse."

"We all make mistakes."

He sighed. "I just want to be alone, Xia."

She sat beside him, ignoring his request. "You look like a boy in need of a hug, Zordon." She hugged him and was surprised he did not fight her. Clearly, things were bad.

"I think I loved her," Zordon whispered so softly, Galaxia barely heard it. "And now, she is lost..." He said nothing else as he cried, allowing her to hold him.

When he was calmer, she released him. He remained silent, and she left him to his thoughts, hoping she had brought him some peace in his obvious grief. Whatever had happened, Zordon was not ready to discuss it. Galaxia hated to see him so upset, but she knew he needed to process this in his own time.

When she reached her chambers, Zedd awaited her. "My love..." She whispered. She knew love now, and she could not imagine losing it. Her heart broke for Zordon. She tried not to think about what she would do if anything happened to Zedd. "My hero," she added.

"I am not a hero," Zedd replied.

"You rode in to our rescue on a glorious white horse. You swept me onto the horse like it was easy, and you saved all of our lives. You are a hero. You belong fighting with us."

"Xia, you know Zell would not allow that."

"Then we will have to keep it from him." She kissed him. "You, my hero, must be at our side."

"I am here now." He kissed her. Galaxia allowed it, pulling him closer and clinging to him. Somehow, she would ensure that Zedd was at her side in battle. She trusted her team, but she trusted no one more than Zedd.

"I love you," she whispered.

"And I you, my beloved," he replied.

Kissing Zedd, Galaxia had faith that, somehow, all would be well in the end. As long as they had each other, this team could do anything, and whether he liked it or not, Zedd was a part of the team, as was Zordon. Together, we are strongest, she thought. That was a point she intended to make to Zell when the time was right. Somehow, Galaxia would ensure that Zedd became an official part of the team, no matter what it took.


	6. Chapter Six

SIX MONTHS LATER.

ZEDD

The past six months had been like a dream for Zedd. He'd spent his days cooking and taking care of the stables. Any time the Chosen ran into battle, Galaxia would send a portal to transport him after the fact so he could help. He would always ride Winifred into battle, and even if he wasn't riding her, she fought to protect him as he battled on foot. Although he was not an official part of their team, Zedd fought proudly by their sides. He had no magical armor, but he'd made some metal armor to help protect him from injuries that might prove fatal.

His nights were spent with Galaxia. Neither bothered to pretend they were not together anymore. She filled him with a joy he had never thought he would be allowed to feel. Unfortunately, when he slept, he was still haunted by things he wished he could forget. Sometimes, just waking up beside Galaxia helped, but there were far too many other mornings when only Raven could soothe him. There had been one especially awful morning when Zedd's glamour had shattered, and he'd woken up clawing at his flesh, trying to tear his own face off because he could feel the acid burning his face as though it were happening all over again. When Galaxia had tried to wake him, he'd clawed at her arms trying to stop her from touching him. Only once Raven had calmed him did he realize he had hurt her. She had refused to let him apologize, pulling him into her arms and kissing him instead, but he knew he'd scared her. He tried to sleep less now, just to decrease the chance that he might hurt her again.

Most of the time, he was happy. When his mind got the better of him, he confessed his problems to Winifred, and the horse always made him feel better. He spent the little bit of free time he allowed himself sketching. He had always loved to draw, but his father hated the habit. One day, while they were at the marketplace, Zordon had noticed him eyeing a sketchbook bound in leather and pencils. He'd insisted on buying all of it for him, although Zedd had protested it was too expensive. Zordon told him he'd earned it, given all he did around the farm. He sketched the farm, his friends, Winifred, and especially Galaxia. It relaxed him and gave him a comfort he had not expected.

Zedd was grateful for his friends in a way none of them could understand. He tried to repay them for their friendship in small ways. He sparred with Dimitri. He was the only one Dimitri could risk practicing new moves on because Zedd could heal nearly any wound Dimitri might accidentally give him.

He found new meals to cook for Quintus, which was all the boy seemed to need to be happy. The more unique the meal, the happier Quintus became.

Zedd allowed Morgana to cry on his shoulder about things she dared not speak of even to Dimitri. The poor girl was so ashamed of the things Master Vile had made her do, but Zedd completely understood what she had been through. Once he had revealed his own traumatic upbringing to her, Morgana had begun to confide in him.

He helped Caius with research, which seemed to be the boy's favorite thing in the world. When nothing else comforted Caius in his grief, books did. Zedd tried to find new subjects for him to learn about, and that always put a smile on the sad boy's face.

Raven required nothing, and there was no way to truly repay him for the peace of mind he provided Zedd with nearly every morning. He simply spent time with him and found they both enjoyed this. Raven, like Quintus, had a deep appreciation for sarcasm, and Zedd had plenty of that to offer. When he spent time with Raven, Zedd felt ridiculously normal, and he loved that.

He could never hope to repay Galaxia for loving him, but he showered her with constant affection and devotion. She was his heart. He would have done anything for her, and he made sure she knew it.

Zordon had become his most unlikely friend. As Zordon forced himself to be strong for the Chosen, he allowed Zedd to see what was broken in him. Whenever Zell's temper got the better of him, Zordon would only turn to Zedd to help care for his wounds. Although Zordon had clearly sunken into a deep depression, he pushed himself to keep going and act like all was well. Only near Zedd would he occasionally allow himself the luxury of grieving a love he'd lost but refused to discuss. The two had become as close as brothers.

When Zell sent the Chosen into battle that day, Zedd waited for Galaxia to send a portal to him. As it appeared, he hopped into the saddle. "Come on, Winnie. Let's go," he said.

What he saw was the last thing he expected. Bodies littered the ground. There were flames everywhere. Quintus was staring at something in horror. Zedd realized it was a woman who'd suffered severe burns. Quintus struggled to help her. He had pulled her out of the flames, but she was too far gone. There was a tiny bundle of blankets in her arms.

"Hattie... Hattie, hold on..." Quintus begged, and Zedd realized he knew the woman. Zedd rushed to his side, hoping he could heal her, but she was too close to death.

"Take him..." Hattie whispered.

"Hattie, you will be well," Quintus insisted. "You will survive this."

"Take him," she said again as she coughed. "He came this morning... He belongs with his father..." With that, Hattie was gone.

"No..." Quintus whispered. "No, Hattie... Please..."

"Quin..." Zedd said gently.

"Hattie, wake up... Please wake up..." Quintus begged.

Zedd put a gentle hand on Quintus's shoulder. "Quin... She is gone. I'm sorry."

Quintus suddenly seemed to understand. He gently closed Hattie's eyes and kissed her forehead. The blankets were burned, and he looked too frightened to look at what was very likely the corpse of his own newborn son. Zedd gently took the bundle of blankets and forced himself to unwrap the head area. What he saw stunned him.

"The boy is alive!" Zedd said. The infant looked at him with big, curious eyes as Zedd studied him.

"Alive?" Quintus asked.

"Alive, and unharmed... Quin, the fire did not touch him."

"But the blankets burned..."

"He is your son, Quin... Apparently in every way." Zedd paused. "Are you prepared to hold him?"

Quintus bit his bottom lip before nodding. He took the boy in his arms and stared at him. "Hello, my little one," he said softly. The infant was crying now. "Do not fear. You are safe now, and safe you shall remain." He rocked the infant gently in his arms and the boy stopped crying.

"You are a natural with children," Zedd told him.

"They have always liked me," Quintus admitted.

"Boys! A little help?" Galaxia called.

"Keep your boy safe," Zedd said. "I shall help them."

Zedd hurried to Galaxia and Morgana, who fought side-by-side with powerful spells meant to protect those who still survived and to attack the monsters in the village. "What brought on such an attack?" Zedd asked.

"They said it had to be destroyed... They had orders from someone," Morgana told him.

"Quin put out most of the fires. He saved everyone he could," Galaxia added. "Dimitri, Raven, and Caius have been slaying whatever evil they can while Morgana and I work our magic."

Zedd felt the energy of the village shift and knew they were truly in trouble. He took a deep breath before turning around and calmly saying, "Hello, Father. How are things?"

In all of this time, his father had not dared show up to an attack in person. "This is why you betrayed me?" His father demanded. "To play hero in costume armor?"

"My armor's pretty effective, actually," Zedd replied casually. It covered his scars, which was a bonus. With those hidden, Zedd could use the energy he generally put into his glamours in battle instead. It protected his face from harm and provided some protection for his chest as well. Zedd had pulled it together with scraps of metal, so he hadn't had much to work with, but it made him feel proud to wear it.

"Still a foolish boy playing games..." His father mumbled. He looked to Morgana. "Master Vile seeks you, my dear. He would pay a pretty price if I delivered you... But perhaps I would rather keep you for myself."

"If you even attempt to touch her, I shall sever your favorite piece of anatomy, and when you heal it, I shall repeat the process," Zedd vowed.

"You dare make such idle threats to me, Boy?" His father asked.

"Nothing idle about that," Galaxia said. "Eternal castration sounds like an excellent punishment, and one Zedd is more than capable of delivering... As am I."

"You... The harlot he ran off with."

"My dear Lord Xylon... I have been called far worse than that."

Zedd watched as the wheels began turning in his father's mind. Nothing good ever came of that. "Father... Why have you come?"

"This village offended me. It had to be destroyed," his father said. "Now... Come with me, Boy. Back where you belong."

"I am where I belong."

"Playing hero when we both know what you are?" His father laughed. "Do your new friends know the truth about you, Boy?" His father yanked his helmet off of his head. Morgana gasped, seeing his scars for the first time. His father grabbed Zedd's face, putting pressure on his scars. Zedd refused to scream even as his father inflicted as much pain as he could on the old wounds.

"Get away from him!" Galaxia cried.

"Be gone, Harlot!" He sent Galaxia flying with one powerful hit.

"Xia!" Zedd screamed. He immediately tried to attack his father. "Morgana, get the others," he cried out as he struggled to fight against the monster who'd raised him.

Zedd held his own at first, but soon, his father gained the upper hand. He pulled Zedd close to him and whispered, "I have months of punishment to make up for." He laughed and hit Zedd's head with his staff. It hurt. Zedd couldn't see straight for a minute.

"Zedd!" Galaxia cried frantically.

"Step away from him," Dimitri said harshly.

"This matter does not concern you, Children," his father said. "My son is coming home. He is not one of you."

"No, he is not Chosen," Raven said. Then he ran his sword straight through Zedd's father as he added, "But he's a damn good stable boy, and we'd hate to lose him."

"Apologies, Lord Xylon, but I am married to your son's cooking, and I simply refuse to part with him," Quintus added. He burned Zedd's father, who cried out in shock as Raven pulled his sword back out.

It was Caius who surprised Zedd the most as he placed a very well-planned kick to his father's chest, sending him flying backward.

"Time to go," Morgana said. "Can you walk, Zedd?"

"Yes," he replied.

Suddenly, Zedd felt a sharp pain. He fell forward as excruciating pain surged through his entire body. He vaguely heard Galaxia scream his name, but he could not figure out where she was or why everything was suddenly tinged red.

GALAXIA

"Zedd!" She shrieked in horror as the arrow pierced his flesh. Galaxia ran to his side, forgetting all about opening a portal as her beloved fell to his knees.

"Oh Gods..." Morgana whispered in horror.

"Stay back!" Dimitri warned Lord Xylon as he tried to get to his son. Xylon swatted him away like he was an insect, sending him flying into a wall. Morgana ran to him. Raven and Quintus stood together, ready to fight, as Caius held the infant Quintus had inexplicably refused to leave with the villagers.

Galaxia stood before Zedd protectively. As Xylon tossed Raven and Quintus aside, he moved toward her. She began casting her strongest spell, but Xylon stopped her with a swift attack. He grabbed her by her throat, choking her. Galaxia struggled to free herself. Xylon tossed her into a rock. She cracked her head open and struggled not to black out as her armor failed her. Galaxia watched in horror as Xylon went for Zedd.

Suddenly, someone got between father and son. Winifred stood on her hind legs, kicking her front ones toward Xylon threateningly. She would not move from in front of Zedd.

"I shall destroy you, Beast!" Xylon declared.

Winifred did not budge. Instead, she let out the horse equivalent of a battle cry and stared Xylon down. He tried to attack her, but he could not. Her connection to Zedd gave her power and Xylon could not figure out how to harm her. Finally, Winifred attacked him, doing damage with her hooves until he fled. Only then did Winifred lower herself to the ground, nudging Zedd gently with her nose.

"Good girl, Winnie..." Zedd mumbled. He tried to pet her nose. It took him four tries to find it.

"Xia! Xia, are you alright? Can you open a portal?" Dimitri asked as he crawled toward her.

"My head..." Galaxia mumbled.

"If she opens a portal in this state, we will end up lost in an abyss," Caius said. "We must travel on foot."

"Carry my son, " Quintus said. "I'll carry Xia. If we can get Zedd onto Winnie, she can carry him back."

"Your son?" Galaxia asked.

"Later, Xia. Now, we must get you and Zedd help."

She might have protested, but her injuries won and she lost consciousness.

RAVEN

Their spirits were certainly down. Raven began playing his flute as they walked, hoping to lighten the mood. Dimitri led the way, holding Zedd's helmet, which he had insisted on retrieving for their friend. Morgana walked beside him, guiding Winifred. Zedd lay across her saddle, whimpering in pain as whatever the arrow had been dipped in spread through his veins.

"He is dying," Caius said softly so only Raven could hear him. "The poison is spreading too quickly. Were he not an incubus, he would have been dead already." He held the baby close to his chest. Raven looked at Quintus, who carried Galaxia in his arms carefully, walking steadily on their seemingly endless path.

"We shall save him, Caius," Raven insisted. "Have faith."

"That is difficult for me," Caius admitted. "My mind is very logic-bound. Studying with the Mystics opened me up to the impossible, but I fear losing Rose made my faith in good things coming to pass diminish."

"Listen to my music, Caius. Perhaps I can restore your faith." Raven began to play another song.

When they finally reached the farm, Zordon looked at them in horror. "What happened?" He demanded.

"Lord Xylon attacked," Dimitri explained.

"Why is Quin carrying Xia?"

"Her head is injured. She lost consciousness."

"Bring her to my father. He can heal her." Zordon looked at Zedd. "Does he live?" He nearly whispered.

"Barely," Caius said. "His father has poisoned him. I do not believe we have much time to save him."

Zordon pulled Zedd off of Winifred and into his arms. He carried him into the house. "We must reveal his activities to my father," he said sadly. "There is no other choice if we want to save his life." Zedd was motionless and barely breathing now.

"He is right," Raven said. "We are losing him."

As Zordon carried Zedd, Raven heard Zedd cry out in pain. He automatically began singing to his friend softly, taking his hand and praying the light he brought in would comfort him. Zedd was trembling violently from the poison, but he stopped whimpering.

"What has happened?" Zell demanded. "Bring him to me!"

Quintus had already placed Galaxia on the bed they used for healing, so Zordon carefully lay Zedd on a table. Zell turned to Raven. "Please retrieve Caius for me," he said.

Raven hurried off to do as he had been told. Caius sat upstairs, waiting for news. "Zell requires your assistance," Raven told him. "Where are Dimitri and Morgana?"

"Morgana took Winifred back to the stables," Caius replied. "Dimitri went with her."

Raven nodded. Dimitri rarely let Morgana go anywhere alone. It was clear he had fallen for her, but Dimitri dared not admit it. Raven assumed he feared scaring her off.

Caius was already heading downstairs, so Raven followed him. "Caius, Zedd has been poisoned with a powerful toxin. If we do not create an antidote quickly, he will die," Zell said. "The potion is complex. I trust you and you alone to help me prepare it."

Raven was stunned as Zell stepped out of the energy tube. It was the first time he had done that in front of them. He looked remarkably similar to Zordon, except his hair was much shorter and was perfectly neat, he had a tasteful beard that made him look extra distinguished, and he was clearly older. "You have emerged..." Raven mumbled.

"I fear Zedd has little time left. I must be fully present for this," Zell explained. "Raven. Quintus. Go upstairs. Keep the others away."

"What about Xia?" Quintus asked.

"Galaxia will heal. Her injury is quite serious, but it will not be fatal."

"I wish to stay, Zell," Raven said softly. "My light comforts Zedd in his pain."

"That is not acceptable. I question the judgement of every last one of you right now. What was Zedd doing there with you today? He is not Chosen. He is simply the stable boy, and you all nearly got him killed by bringing him with you into battle!" Zell turned to Zordon. "Did you know of this?" He demanded.

"I did, Father," Zordon admitted, facing his father and looking directly into his eyes. Raven admired his courage. Most others would have lied in the face of their father's obvious rage, especially when their father was as powerful as Zell.

"You are a fool! You should have told me they were doing this. How long has he been joining them?"

"A while."

"Allowing Zedd to play these games may well have killed him. I am beyond disappointed in you, Zordon."

"Great Zell..." Caius said gently. "Pardon me, but you stressed acting quickly, correct? We can assign blame later. At the moment, we must do all we can to save him."

Zell hesitated. "Of course. You are correct. Leave us, Children."

"Shall I leave as well?" Zordon asked.

"You and I must speak. Give me a moment to get Caius started and I shall find you. For now, yes, go with the others."

Raven did not argue. Quintus looked at Caius. "Where is my son?" He asked.

"Asleep in your bed. He is safe, Quin," Caius promised. "Go be with him."

"Come on. I wish to meet your son properly," Raven said. He led Quintus away, praying when Caius emerged, he would have good news.

DIMITRI

He stayed with Morgana by the stables. Neither of them wanted to return to the house for what might be bad news. Morgana had automatically begun cleaning the stables, both to spare Zedd the work later and to keep herself busy. Dimitri insisted on helping her, although he knew little about caring for horses.

As Morgana hummed softly to herself, Dimitri watched her. He hated how strongly he felt for her. Morgana was beautiful, and the more he got to know her, the deeper in love he fell.

You do not love her, he told himself. You cannot love her. You will destroy her if you do. He'd been haunted by that thought for months. His father had loved his mother, or so Dimitri believed, yet he had brutally murdered her and most of their children in a fit of alcohol-fueled insanity. His father had always been a powerful magician, as well as an expert swordsman. Not once had he shown any sign that this was coming. Dimitri feared that darkness could be hiding inside of his own mind, waiting to escape and claim the lives of anyone he dared to love.

"Dimitri?" Morgana called.

Dimitri shook off the flashes of the day he'd lost everything. He looked at Morgana. She cautiously extended a finger toward his cheek and wiped something away. Dimitri realized it was a tear. He cursed his own weakness.

Morgana leaned in closer, allowing him to hold her. That always comforted them both. This time, however, Dimitri lost his wits and kissed her. Morgana stiffened only slightly before she relaxed and began kissing him back. Other than in battle, Dimitri had not felt this alive since losing his family.

"Morgana..." He whispered as he reluctantly broke the kiss. He looked at her nervously. "I apologize if I have crossed a boundary. That was inappropriate. I know you have been through much, and I would never presume to-"

"Dimitri... All is well," Morgana said. She placed her hands around his face and kissed him again. He was stunned. Morgana had never been so forward. He ignored the fear in his heart and the nagging voice that insisted he would only hurt her in the end, and he simply enjoyed the kiss. Morgana kissed shyly, her lips soft and her touch gentle. He never wanted to stop.

When they finally parted, Dimitri looked at her and whispered, "My heart is yours, my sweet Morgana."

"I believed myself shattered, Dimitri. I did not believe I could ever feel for anyone as I do for you... Yet here I am, kissing you." She touched his face gently. "You have healed something in me, Dimitri. And against all odds, I love you."

"I love you, Morgana... With each breath I take, I love you a bit more."

They resumed cleaning the stables after that, but Dimitri knew everything had changed. He could deny his love no more, and she had declared her own. Please, Gods, do not let me harm her, he prayed.

ZORDON

When his father took him to his chambers, Zordon knew he should be concerned. If this were not trouble, he would not have demanded they be alone. Zordon sat on his bed, trying to relax as he waited to see what his father's anger would cause him to do.

"You knew of the danger they put the stable boy in," his father said harshly. "You allowed it to continue!"

"Zedd works well with them, Father. He has saved their lives on more than one occasion," Zordon said.

"This was not your call to make!" His father struck him harder than he ever had, not even pretending it was an accident this time. Zordon stared at him in shock. "You betrayed me! You allowed this to go on behind my back!" He struck him again, then pulled him off the bed by his arm so hard that Zordon feared he would rip the limb from his body.

"Father, please-"

"Shut your mouth! I do not want to hear excuses!" He swung his hand at Zordon's face, possibly intending to break his jaw to silence him. Zordon's reflexes kicked in and he dodged the blow, which only made his father angrier. He cried out as his father sent a blast of energy at him that knocked him clear across the room and into a wall. His father kept coming, furious and nothing like the man he always appeared to be around others. Even when he was violent toward Zordon, he had always made excuses, acting like a benevolent old man who had simply made an error in calculating his own strength. With all pretense of this gone, Zordon was certain his father meant to kill him.

"My own son, a traitor!" His father shouted. Zordon felt blood running down his head as he hit him again.

"Father... I did not betray you..." Zordon said softly, his voice shaking.

"Were I any other man, I would destroy you for such an act!"

"Then do it..." He whispered. Louder, he added, "Show the world who you truly are."

His father's eyes flashed the color of blood before he took a breath. "My son..." He said gently. "I did not mean to harm you... My anger over the tragedy of Zedd's current situation simply got the better of me." He manifested a towel out of thin air and began wiping away the blood on Zordon's face. "Allow me to heal you."

"Leave it," Zordon said, snatching the towel. "I can do this myself."

"Zordon... My son... You know I meant no harm. I expect you shall keep this unfortunate incident between us."

The threat in his tone was clear. Zordon nodded. "Of course, Father."

His father finally left him and Zordon sank to the floor. He pulled his knees to his chest and sat trembling, unable to breathe and too terrified to move. He could no longer deny his father was a monster, but he had the entire universe fooled. The Great Wizard Zell was the greatest force of good in the universe. No one would ever believe that he physically abused his son. He was a hero, not a monster.

He has Xia and Zedd, he thought. Zordon was suddenly terrified. His father would not harm Galaxia. She was one of his Chosen. Zedd, however, had dared to defy him. The person he deemed nothing more than a stable boy he'd had the goodness in his heart to rescue from his evil father had gone behind his back and done the very thing he told him not to. Zedd was nothing to his father. He might harm him.

You have to protect him, Zordon thought. Zedd had become his closest friend. When his father hurt him, Zedd took care of him. He had healed him on several occasions, and even though he knew what was happening, he never pushed Zordon to talk about it. Zedd was the one person he'd dared tell about Rita, although he hadn't told him she was Morgana's lost daughter.

Rita, he thought. He was still certain she had not been evil when they met, no matter what his father claimed. What had happened to her? Had his father played a role in it?

Suddenly positive his friend was in danger, Zordon stood up. Unfortunately, his head was still severely injured, and he immediately felt dizzy. He blacked out before he could do anything else.

ZEDD

He woke feeling better. Zedd sat up, then nearly fell over. "Easy, Zedd," Caius said gently. "You are still adjusting."

"What happened?" Zedd asked.

"Your father shot you with poison. Zell helped me brew an antidote."

"Thank you, Caius." He took his hand. "You have saved my life."

"No thanks are necessary."

"Xia... Where's Xia?" He remembered her getting hurt.

"Right here," she said, walking over to them.

Zedd touched the place where her head had been cut. "You were hurt..." He said.

"I am well now," Galaxia promised, kissing him.

"Xia... My father nearly killed you..." His heart ached.

"It is nothing, Zedd. I'm well."

"I am sorry, my beloved... I never wanted you to meet him."

She kissed him again. "My love, do not despair. I love you, Zedd."

"I love you, Xia."

As Zell came downstairs, Zedd was stunned to see he had emerged from his tube. "You are awake. Excellent! Are you well, dear boy?" Zell asked.

"I am, thanks to you and Caius. I am grateful for your help."

"It should not have been necessary. Zedd, you must understand, you are not Chosen. Your role here is to care for the others. You are a good soul, but you nearly got yourself killed today."

"He would have been protected, had he the proper armor..." Galaxia said.

"Xia-" Zedd began.

"Zell, you must understand, Zedd has been working with us for months. He has saved us all more times than I can count. He fights with us so naturally... It is meant to be. Please... Will you consider making Zedd one of the Chosen?"

Zedd stared at her. "Xia, no... I am not worthy of such an honor."

"That is rubbish! You are a far greater warrior than any of us. Your passion for doing what is right is unmatched, and you keep a clear head in battle and protect us all. We need you."

"Galaxia..." Zell said. He paused thoughtfully. "Alright. You make a valid argument, and I suspect the boy will only continue to help you anyway. You are correct. The armor of the Chosen would have protected him from that arrow, where his current armor leaves far too much exposed. Your heart is strong, Zedd. If you are willing, I shall make you the final member of the team, Chosen White. Do you wish to be one of my Chosen?"

Zedd was stunned. He wanted this more than anything. Was it possible? "Yes," he said. "Yes, Great Zell. I wish to join the Chosen."

"Very well. Galaxia, Caius, leave us. I must perform this transformation alone, as it is not like when the rest of you transformed. Zedd was not meant to be on this team, thus he requires more work."

Galaxia kissed Zedd passionately as Caius quickly left. She looked into his eyes. "I love you, Zedd. You will always be one of us now. I shall see you soon."

"I love you, Xia... More than you shall ever understand." He kissed her again before releasing her.

Once he was alone with Zell, Zedd said, "I am ready."

"One last thing, my boy. Before you make your decision, you must know something. There are two paths you may take here, Zedd. The outcome of one is quite different from the other. Look into the fire now."

Suddenly, a fire burst from the floor. In it, Zedd saw a vision. He watched the images as Zell explained them. "If you become one of the Chosen and remain with Galaxia, you will have little time together. Very soon, you both shall be captured. Both of you shall be tortured repeatedly until, finally, the monster decides to kill you. He will kill you quickly, Zedd, but Galaxia's demise shall not come so easily. She shall be violated in every way possible. He shall break her body over and over again until he breaks her mind, and only then shall he grant her the mercy of death. He shall destroy all that she is."

Zedd stared at him in horror. "Who is he? Who does this to her?" He demanded. He didn't care about his own death, but he could not allow anything to happen to Galaxia.

"I do not know," Zell replied. "As you see, he remains cloaked."

"Why? Why does he do this?"

"Because you are with her, Zedd. You bring this destiny to her... However, you can prevent it if you choose the other path."

Zedd's chest hurt. "What is the other path?" He asked.

"If you do not become Chosen... Galaxia's path shall be quite different." The images changed, and Zedd watched as Galaxia slowly aged, becoming even more beautiful. She met a man and her eyes lit up as he made her laugh, and soon they held a baby, and then more children, and grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren, until she passed away in her bed with a peaceful smile on her face. "She will be happy, Zedd... She will live to an age most never see, and she will live a good life."

"Without me..." Zedd whispered.

"Yes, Zedd. I am sorry. The one thing you must give up to grant Galaxia this future is Galaxia herself."

Zedd's heart felt like it had been yanked from his chest. "I love her," he whispered.

"Yes, you do. The question is, do you love her enough to spare her the first path?"

Tears fell down his cheeks as he slowly nodded. "Her happiness is worth any price."

"Then there is one other thing you must do."

"Anything."

"You must become evil, Zedd. That is the path you were destined for."

Zedd paled. "What?" He asked. "But you are good! How can you want me to turn evil?"

"Each soul must walk his own path, Zedd. I know this is yours, and if you choose to deviate, you shall change Galaxia's path as well... You shall lead her to her death, after what shall feel like an eternity of suffering... Or you can save her, Zedd. You alone can save Galaxia or damn her."

"So what? I return to my father?"

"You may... It shall be your choice. Choosing to become evil will make you stronger. You will be able to stand against him."

That was tempting, but not enough to make him do it. "She will be safe?"

"Yes. She will live a long, full life."

"And she will be happy?"

"Very much so."

Zedd knew what he had to do. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She is worth the price, he reminded himself.

"I will do it," he said. "To save Xia."

Zell nodded. "Step into the fire, Zedd. It will transform you."

Zedd was terrified, but he had to save Galaxia. He was still crying as he whispered, "I love you, Xia..." Then he stepped into the fire.

Zedd had never felt such agony in his life. As the flames burned away his humanity, his heart, and everything that had ever made him who he was, Zedd's mind was screaming for him to jump back out, but he could not. He had to save Galaxia.

Only when he saw Zell's face did he realize he had been manipulated. "You..." He whispered.

"Yes, my boy. Me. I am the one who would destroy her slowly, leaving her in terrible agony... I am the one who would kill you both. But by the bindings of my spell, you may never speak of that or of what I truly am."

"I won't let you harm them!" He struggled, but most of the good had left him. He could not connect to the desire to save the others the way he needed to.

"You cannot stop me. You no longer have the pure heart of the Chosen, and you can no longer hold that light. I am capturing it, and I shall destroy it forever."

Zedd could feel the truth in his words. He felt dead inside. "You tricked me," he whispered, defeated. The last tear he would ever be able to shed fell, and then there were no more.

"No, my boy. I only showed you the path you were meant for... And I am bound by this spell. I can do no true harm to Galaxia. She shall live the life you saw... And you shall remain trapped by your evil until you finally die. Only death shall free you, and I shall not grant it to you! You shall be made immortal, forced to remain a monster for eternity." With that, Zell sent one last flame through Zedd's body.

Zedd suddenly felt nothing. His pain was gone. His fear had vanished. He still had every memory he'd ever made, but he could no longer connect to them emotionally. As the fire went out, Zedd looked at Zell and felt only his hatred for the monster who had taken everything from him. He attacked him with all he possessed, clearly even surprising Zell.

As Zell fought back, Zedd let out a cry of both pain and rage. He attacked Zell even harder. Zell tried to retreat to his energy tube, but Zedd grabbed him by his throat and flung him across the room with impossible strength. His new power levels were impressive. He would never fear his father or anyone else ever again.

"Zedd! What are you doing?" Galaxia cried as she appeared.

He wanted to tell her what had happened, but he could not. Instead, he said, "What I must."

"Zedd... Look at me. Please," she begged as he continued to attack Zell. Reluctantly, Zedd did. "Tell me what happened, my beloved... Please. I can help you..."

As Zedd looked at her, he remembered loving her. It caused an unbearable pain inside of him as he realized he no longer felt love for Galaxia or for anyone else. He felt nothing but raw hatred for Zell and a general indifference for everyone else. "I do not require your help. I require nothing now."

"What did you do to him?" Galaxia demanded of Zell.

"Galaxia... I fear the poison his father injected into Zedd did irreversible damage. His good has rotted away... When I tried to make him one of you, he turned evil instead," Zell said.

"He's not evil!" Galaxia cried.

"Yes, I am," Zedd said sharply.

"Zedd..." Galaxia whispered in horror.

"The boy you loved is dead. Let go of him. Move on with your life."

"No! I shall fix you, Zedd. I-"

"There is no fixing me! I am not broken! Finally, I am the powerful ruler I was meant to be!" He felt that much was true. More power than he had ever known ran through his veins now. He would never be anyone's pet to use and abuse ever again. It was his turn to rule.

"I love you, Zedd... Please do not go. I shall find a way-"

"Enough! You can do nothing! I made my choice, Xia! There is nothing good inside of me!"

"There is your love for me!"

"I do not love you now. I cannot." He hated to see the pain in her eyes at his words, but they were true. He touched her face gently. "I can love no one now, Xia... But if I could, it would surely be you. It would always be you." He released her.

"Zedd..." She was crying now.

He knew he had to do something drastic to make her let him leave. If Galaxia was ever to have the life Zell had promised, she had to be willing to move on. Zedd figured he could send her a message she would understand. He took a sword and stabbed Zell in his back.

Zell let out a shocked cry. "Remember this, Galaxia," Zedd said. He hoped she would see he was trying to warn her that Zell had stabbed them all in the back. "The boy you knew is dead. Only I remain. The light within is in other hands now, destroyed, Galaxia. And it shall remain gone until the day I die." He knew he would never feel peace until he drew his last breath, and if he had truly been cursed with immortality, that day would never come. Perhaps Galaxia would understand, especially with him not calling her Xia as he always did, that he was telling her more than his words implied.

Before she could stop him, Zedd fled upstairs. He was careful to be quiet as he rushed to his room. He grabbed only two things, his sketchbook and his helmet. The helmet completed the armor he still wore. That was practical. The sketchbook was the only trinket of who he had once been that he would allow himself to keep. He took it and ran, unseen, into the darkness.

GALAXIA

She nearly gave in to her hysteria, but then she remembered that she was Galaxia Campbell, and that was not her style. Zedd's message had been obvious. Whatever had happened, it was Zell's doing. He was not the great savior they believed him to be, but a traitor. She also understood that she was currently in great danger.

Play the part, she told herself. Be his loyal Chosen. Her heart was breaking. Zedd was gone. He was gone, and she knew in her heart it was irreversible. She saw the charm on the floor beside Zell. It had fallen from his hand, and it glowed warmly as she touched it. She slipped it into her pocket, knowing it was Zedd's light. She knew she could never return it to him. He could no longer hold it.

I shall purify this light, she vowed, crushing the partially shattered charm and drawing Zedd's light straight into her own heart. I shall bind his light to me, and one day, when our lines come together again, his descendant shall be able to hold his light... He shall be as pure of heart and spirit as my beloved was... His light shall never die, and the child shall be unable to be tainted. This is my vow, my love... I shall save all that was good in you from the destruction it was meant to meet... I shall love you for eternity, my Zedd...

She allowed her tears to fall, but forced herself to move closer to Zell. Until this was over, she had to act as he would want.

"Zell... Stay with me!" She cried. She screamed upstairs. "Help! I need help! Zell is wounded!" She began to heal him, but only because she knew she must.

The others rushed downstairs. Zordon looked too pale, his blue skin nearly white. "What has happened?" He asked shakily.

It killed her to feed them Zell's lie, but in his presence, she needed to keep up appearances. "It was Zedd," she whispered. "The poison in his veins tainted him. When Zell tried to make him one of us, he turned evil instead." She was crying harder now.

Caius raised an eyebrow at that and this act was the last piece of confirmation she required. His expression clearly told her the antidote had fully cured Zedd and that this tale Zell had spun was an impossible one. She nodded at him subtly and knew he understood what was happening then.

"No..." Morgana whispered in horror. "Zedd cannot be evil..."

"We have lost him..." Galaxia whispered, and then her grief truly did become too much for her. She fell to her knees weeping, her heart shattered. Raven immediately rushed to her side to comfort her. Quintus held Morgana as Dimitri helped Zordon move Zell to the energy tube so he could heal. Caius ensured the energy tube was functioning properly.

I am so sorry, my love, Galaxia thought. I cannot save you... But I shall damn sure make the bloody bastard pay for this.

As Galaxia wept in Raven's arms, she knew that the Chosen had a long road ahead of them. No matter what, they must stop Zell. She prayed they would be strong enough.


	7. Chapter Seven

ZORDON

It had been a hell of a night. Galaxia had not allowed anyone to stay with her except Raven, who had spent the night with her in Zedd's bed holding her and singing to her as she held Zedd's pillow and cried herself to sleep. Zordon had stayed up to check on her and to keep an eye on his father.

The Chosen had all come to the farm deeply broken, but Galaxia had not. Killing her mother had been an inevitability for her, and if anything, finally doing it had simply freed her from the burden of waiting to see what would happen to force her hand. Losing Zedd, however, had finally broken her in the way the others had been broken.

Zordon rushed around the farm, cleaning before any of the others woke. With Zedd gone, that responsibility had become entirely his once more. He knew he would need to prepare breakfast as well. When Zordon reached the stables, he saw Winifred laying down. Worried the horse must be sick, he approached her. She looked up at him sadly before laying her head back down.

A thousand ideas raced through Zordon's head. Had Winifred been hit with a poisoned arrow as well? Was she dying? As he gently pet her face, however, he knew the truth. "You know what happened, don't you, Winnie?" He asked. He did not need Xia's affinity for animals to know this was the case. The horse knew Zedd was lost to them, and even she was grieving.

He stayed with Winifred for a bit. He had to keep himself composed in front of the others. He had to be strong for them. Only with the horse Zedd had loved so dearly did Zordon feel he could let his emotions out. His brother was gone. Zordon had failed him, just as he had failed Rita.

"My father did this..." He whispered. He knew it in his heart, but he could not risk telling the Chosen. Their loyalty to his father protected them from harm. If his father lost control of them, there was no telling what he might do.

"I must protect them," Zordon said. "They are not only my charges... They are my family, and I cannot allow him to harm any more of them." Sure, Zordon had friends back on Eltar, but none had been like the Chosen. He loved them fiercely, and he knew he would do anything in his power to keep them safe, even if it meant facing the truth... His father had the entire universe fooled. He had never been a great source of good. He was the worst sort of evil, the sort no one would ever suspect of such darkness. Zordon had believed for so long that he was the cause of the pain his father inflicted upon him, but Zedd had been good... And Rita had been good... Now both were evil, and the only common thread between them was that Zordon had left them in his father's care right before they turned. He had suspected the truth after Rita, but Zedd's turning proved that was not simply the desperate thought of a boy who'd lost the girl he loved. His father was turning innocent people evil.

Zordon took several deep breaths and guarded his mind before he returned to the house. He finished preparing breakfast. He checked on his father.

"Zordon..." His father said.

"Good morning, Father," Zordon said. "You look well."

"You saved me last night. Thank you, my son."

"I did not do it alone. Dimitri helped me carry you, and Caius made certain the energy tube was set properly to heal you."

"You need not be modest. I know you were upset with me yesterday, yet you still saved my life. I was too harsh on you, Zordon. I am sorry for that."

Zordon was stunned. His father's apologies had always been excuses in the past, but this one seemed genuine. "You are my father," Zordon replied. "Angry or not, of course I helped you." He nearly wanted to forgive his father. Perhaps he was wrong. Perhaps he had not been the cause of Rita and Zedd turning evil. His father was the only parent he had left. In spite of their difficulties, Zordon loved him deeply. All he had ever wanted was for his father to love him. He thought back to his childhood. His father had taught him magic. He'd laughed and encouraged him. He'd tried to comfort him on the nights when Zordon awoke screaming as his nightmares were filled with his mother's screams as a monster butchered her before Zordon's eyes. His father had done the best he could. Zordon knew that.

No, he thought. The one word gave him strength. Yes, he loved his father, and yes, his father had been good to him when he was a small boy, but it had been an act. The moment Zordon began to rebel, his father had turned violent. His true colors had come to light. He had taken everything from Zordon. His home, his friends, the girl he loved, the best friend who had become his brother... His father had ripped away everything Zordon had loved except for...

Mother, Zordon thought. He looked at his father and a terrible thought crossed his mind. The Great Wizard Zell knew all... "Father..." Zordon asked. "Did you know Mother was going to die?"

His father stared at him. "What brought on such a question?" He asked. He had stiffened inside of the energy tube. His face turned hard and unreadable.

I never saw the beast's face, Zordon thought. "I only wondered why you could not have stopped it," Zordon said cautiously.

"My dear boy... Her loss still haunts you deeply." His father looked at him sympathetically. "I fear that, while I see much before it happens, I did not see her death. If I had, I would have done everything in my power to save her."

Zordon closed his eyes. He could see his mother. He saw the beast burst into the house, despite her magical protections. After knocking her down, the beast restrained Zordon. He was cloaked, but Zordon caught a glimpse of his face...

No, he thought. That is impossible. It was bad enough to think his father may have been too indifferent to save his mother, but to even suggest his father and the beast might be the same entity... It was too horrible to consider.

He felt the truth in his heart, however. His six-year-old mind could barely comprehend that a beast was harming his mother. It was too much to accept that the beast was his own father. Zordon took a step back as the weight of the truth hit him.

"My son... Are you well?" His father asked.

"I fear I am exhausted," Zordon said. "I could not rest last night."

"Of course. That is only natural. Go rest, Zordon."

Zordon walked away, only running as he arrived upstairs. He fled to his room. He felt ill. His mother had been gentle, and pure of heart, and all that was good in the world. Only the most evil of beasts could have harmed her. What sort of monster was his father, the beloved Wizard of Eltar?

He finally composed himself and walked outside as the others rose for breakfast. Raven stood very close to Galaxia, still bathing her in his light. She looked better than she had the previous night, but it was clear she was still heartbroken. Morgana clung to Dimitri, not looking much better. Caius had clearly not slept at all. Quintus came out carrying the baby.

"My son is hungry," he said cautiously. "Does anyone know what I should do about that?"

Morgana walked toward him. "I milked Marjory when I woke. A baby needs milk, Quin."

"I fear I do not know how to feed one so small... I am out of my element. I can do basic things, like bathing the boy and changing him, but... I have never fed an infant."

Morgana looked at him sadly. "Give him to me," she said.

Quintus handed her his son. Morgana cradled him in her arms before beginning to feed him. She looked both terribly sad and deeply peaceful as she cared for the infant. "I never got to feed my daughter," she whispered.

Dimitri put a hand gently on her shoulder. Morgana looked up at Quintus. "He is beautiful, Quin. What is he called?"

Quintus looked sad as he said, "Hattie did not have time to name him... And I simply do not know what to call the boy."

"Something of your village, perhaps?" Raven suggested.

"My father was called Quang Bu... Quang means pure, and Bu means he who is a leader... It is a strong name, don't you think?"

"It is lovely," Galaxia said. No one had expected her to speak, and they turned to her now. "Oh, for Heaven's sake... I am not dead. Do not expect me to be a ghost. Now... Let us eat, so I may speak to Caius alone."

Caius nodded. "Yes, I do believe we should speak."

Zordon wondered what that was about. He desperately wanted to ask, but he knew he needed to act as if all were normal until the time was right.

Quang Bu cheerfully drank his milk before falling asleep in Morgana's arms. She continued to gaze down at him with affection as Quintus sat watching them.

"Quin... Are you not going to eat? Your plate is usually the first cleared," Raven said with concern.

"I am not hungry," Quintus said. This statement was quite alarming coming from him.

"Quin..." Zordon began, guessing his reason. "We are all upset at the loss of Zedd, but you need your strength. Eat. Please."

"It feels... Wrong, Zordon. How can we go on as though nothing has changed?" He stared at his son and added, "That child would not be here had Zedd not had the courage to do what I could not. He would have been assumed dead and left there to perish... Zedd saved my son, and I'm just supposed to accept that he's evil now? No! That is not going to happen! He needs us."

Everyone stared at him. Quintus was not one to get angry or yell. He preferred to laugh and act as though nothing bothered him. "Quin..." Zordon said gently.

"Forget it," Quintus said. "My apologies... Especially to you, Xia."

"Do not apologize for loving him," Galaxia said. "I feel the same way... But he is lost to us, Quin." She looked like she might cry. Quintus wrapped her in his arms, and Raven embraced them both. This seemed to calm them all.

After a few moments, Quintus looked to his son. "It appears he can sleep through anything," he said with a laugh. He sighed and returned to his plate, forcing himself to eat. Zordon watched as Morgana gently rocked Quang Bu, keeping him sleeping peacefully. Zordon envied the child, who was still too young to understand the turmoil surrounding him.

CAIUS

He had known something was wrong as soon as Galaxia told them the poison had turned Zedd evil. Galaxia's insistence that they talk in private told Caius she had known she was telling everyone a lie.

"Caius, I have cast a spell to ensure our conversation remains private," Galaxia told him. "I fear our lives depend on it."

"Your version of events is impossible, Xia," Caius said. "Zedd was fully cured of the poison before Zell tried to make him one of us. It had no lasting effects. It could not have turned him."

"I know. I saw it in your eyes. It is the version of events Zell presented to me. It seemed plausible, I suppose. I heard Zedd scream in pain, so I rushed in there, and I saw him attack Zell. I did not understand at first, but then Zedd told me he had turned. .. His eyes were dead, Caius. The light had left them, and I knew... I knew he could never hold it again. He chose this, but I do not know why... I cannot understand... All I know is Zell betrayed him."

"Why do you suspect Zell?"

"Zedd gave me a sign, Caius. He stabbed Zell in his back, and the act was not random. He wanted me to understand... He kept calling me by my given name. He wanted me to know that Zell had stabbed him in the back. Even evil, he tried to warn me..." Galaxia looked lost.

"I believe you," Caius said, taking her hands in his.

"We are all in danger. Zell is our mentor. He gathered us here... Now I wonder what the purpose of that truly is."

"The prophecy is that we shall destroy a greater evil than the world has ever known."

"What if that evil is Zell?" Galaxia whispered.

"Then none of us is safe."

"We must warn the others, but how can we do that safely?"

"I saw things, Xia... A vision I told Zell about. Dimitri's sword covered in blood, the day Zedd first joined us in battle. Raven comforting us in our darkest hour... Which, I believe, was yesterday. Quin and his son, who is now in his arms. Zedd joining us with Winnie... A grave belonging to someone that left me grieving deeply... That has not happened yet, nor has Morgana holding a baby blanket and weeping... There were two little girls, one born evil and one who was turned... I saw Zordon flung across a room... I suspect now that his father may have done that."

"I am certain you are correct. Zordon's injuries have not gone unnoticed, but he spoke only to Zedd of them, and Zedd never betrayed his trust to tell me."

"I saw you, Xia... Grieving and broken... And last night, that vision came true as you screamed into the night."

"I silenced my room before I did that."

"I knew anyway."

"Caius... Did you see if Zell was evil?"

"No... But he reacted strongly to the vision, trying to control what I believed it to mean. Especially about Zordon, Zedd, and your grief. He also refused to let me tell Quin he had a son on the way." He paused. "We must tell Zordon first."

"How can we tell him his only parent is evil?"

"I suspect he already knows. We will only confirm his suspicions."

Not willing to wait, Galaxia brought Zordon into the room. "We must speak with you... And it may be quite difficult to hear," she said.

"Zordon, we have reason to believe your father is not being truthful about what happened to Zedd," Caius said.

Zordon's face turned unreadable. "What do you believe occurred?" He asked.

"We believe he betrayed Zedd... That somehow, he tricked him into giving up his light," Galaxia said.

"Why do you think that?"

"Zedd told me... He stabbed your father in his back, and he made sure to stress my given name so I would know it was deliberate."

"Zell's story is impossible, Zordon. I know the potion cured Zedd of every trace of poison. Scientifically, it is simply not plausible," Caius said.

Zordon nodded slowly. "You must speak of this to no one," he said. "It is not safe here. We need to plan, but we cannot do it here. Do you understand?" He asked.

"You believe us?" Galaxia asked.

"I believe that, and much more." He sighed. "We must act as we normally would. If he suspects we are realizing what he has done, he will destroy us all."

"Agreed. We must proceed with extreme caution," Caius said.

"Caius... Can we save him?" Zordon asked. "Have you seen Zedd's future?"

"I have not," Caius replied. Immediately, there came a vision so strong it knocked him to his knees.

Zedd was desperately trying to cling to who he had been. It was impossible. He was evil. He would destroy them all. There was only one solution... Death.

"I have to go!" Caius said as the vision ended.

"Caius, you are not well-" Zordon protested.

"I will return. Stay. Please."

"Is it Zedd?" Galaxia asked.

"I must go alone. Please," Caius said before he ran from the house, praying he was not too late.

ZEDD

He had wandered for hours. He could feel his mind turning more and more evil. He felt empty and cold.

"My dear boy..." A voice whispered. "I thought you would not come."

"What more do you want from me, Zell?" Zedd demanded. He was annoyed he'd apparently been led to this spot.

"I require energy... And you stand above the most potent source."

Zedd looked at the ground beneath him. It vibrated and called to him. That power... I must have it! His evil mind told him. He began to dig up the dirt with his bare hands. Eventually, he saw a glowing light. "What is that?" He asked.

"That is the Zeo Crystal. It is a powerful creation which shall give me endless energy and power. You must be cautious in retrieving it. The Zeo Crystal is protected by a force field against evil. I can help you disarm it."

I am immortal. I cannot die, but death is my only release...It will free me, and I can appear to Caius... I can warn them. I can save them... No! I do not want to save anyone! I want only power! I must have power!

His own mind was betraying him. Zedd remembered his love for the Chosen and for Zordon, even if he could not feel it. He had to end this. He had to free himself. Then he could help them. Immortals could not die, but perhaps the Zeo Crystal was powerful enough to kill him anyway. As an act of rebellion, Zedd put his helmet on. He was still wearing the rest of his armor, and if he was going to die, he wanted the Chosen to know which side his heart had been on.

The Zeo Crystal is powerful... Why give that power to Zell? Take it for yourself! He told himself. His evil mind fell for it. He reached toward the Zeo Crystal.

"No!" Zell screamed. "No, you fool! Do not touch it!"

Zedd smiled as he reached for the Zeo Crystal unprotected. The force field began to burn him. He cried out, but forced himself not to move until the burns spread all over his body. His pain was so severe, he could not breathe. His lungs burned, too. His flesh was gone, but he was still alive.

Damnit, he thought. It was worth a try.

"Fool! I told you, Zedd, I will not grant you death! Now, you shall live burned and weak and suffering for eternity," Zell said. Zedd could no longer feel him and knew he had abandoned him.

Zedd lay twitching on the ground. He had never known such pain. He could not breathe, but he would not die. He wondered if this was what eternity would be for him. When the pain became too much to handle, Zedd lost consciousness.

CAIUS

He found Zedd unconscious and severely burned. He was unable to get air into his lungs. Caius picked his fallen friend up and somehow carried him to a secluded place. Once there, he set to work on caring for Zedd's wounds. There was no skin left to save, but Caius used a remedy of the Mystics to soothe Zedd's burns. He knew that, over time, it would take his pain, and it would help prevent infection. He used his own scientific knowledge to allow air to reach Zedd's lungs once more. Soon, Zedd was breathing evenly again.

"Where am I?" Zedd mumbled aloud as he began to awaken.

"Safe," Caius said. "You may rest here as long as you require. It is a sanctuary, protected by the spirits of those long deceased."

"Caius?" Zedd asked in confusion.

"Yes."

"I do not understand... I betrayed you all. Why do you help me now?"

"You are family, Zedd. We do not give up on our family."

"I attacked Zell."

"Rightfully so. Rest, Zedd. You are severely wounded."

"I cannot die."

"I know. I saw that. I saw your future."

Caius had seen Zedd growing into a great evil and adopting the title of Lord. He would do horrible things and destroy countless lives... But eventually, one day, he would be free.

"Was I gloriously evil?" Zedd asked sarcastically.

"Indeed. Until the day you died."

"Died? It is impossible."

"Someone will find a way... And you shall be free, my friend. Until then, I have attached items from other realms to you... Zell's collection is vast. He shall not notice a few items have gone missing. You shall breathe freely, and your pain shall lessen daily until it is gone forever. I cannot heal you, but I can spare you an eternity of suffering."

"Even knowing I will make others suffer?"

"Yes. Even still. Please rest here until you are well." Caius gently touched Zedd's arm. "The armor is burned into you, Zedd. I cannot remove it."

"Then it shall be a reminder...One which cannot be taken from me." Zedd paused. "Thank you, Caius."

"Take care of yourself, Zedd." He left him because he knew he must. At least his suffering is minimal, he thought. He had done the only thing he could for the boy who had once been his dear friend. Now, he must return to the Chosen and Zordon. There was much to be done if there was any hope of them defeating Zell.

TWO WEEKS LATER.

ZELL

He had not expected the vision to change, but it did. Suddenly, instead of his wonderful success and the failure of the Chosen, Zell saw a great battle in which he met his demise. Although they were all emotionally destroyed, Raven managed to inspire them to fight. His light was too strong, and Zell knew he must destroy it or he would fail.

Even as he planned to do this, the vision continued to show his defeat. Zell could not understand what had gone wrong. He knew he needed a plan in case this vision came to light.

My destiny is tied to theirs. If I am killed, the Chosen can bring me back if they are together, he thought. The current generation could never be whole. Turning Zedd had ensured that. Looking far into the future, Zell saw many descendants. There was only one problem... None belonged to Caius.

His grief is too strong, Zell realized. He shall never allow another woman into his bed in time... There was only one solution to this, for a son of Caius was key to his plan to return.

When Zell called Caius to him, the boy looked nervous. Zell wondered if he was growing suspicious of him. If any of the Chosen were clever enough to figure out his true plans, it was Caius.

"My boy... I have seen your future," Zell said. "The Underworld God intends to keep you and torture you for eternity once you die, and he will continuously try to kill you. I have only one choice to save you... I must grant you the gift of immortality."

Caius looked horrified. "No... Everything is meant to die, Zell. To live forever is an abomination," he said.

"In your case, Caius, to die is to be unjustly damned. I cannot allow you to be cursed in such a way. This is the only solution."

"Zell, please-"

"I understand your hesitation, Caius, but if you are to accomplish your purpose, you must become immortal. It is for the best." With that, Zell cast the spell before Caius could flee. As he did, Zell saw a new vision. A long time in the future, well over ten thousand years from now, Caius would finally produce an heir. Like his father, the child would have to die to come into his powers, and it would be his gift alone which could restore Zell's life.

The boy must die, he thought. He knew he could plant the idea to kill the boy in Rita's head. He saw how happy the boy would be, and he knew it would be easy to make Rita obsess about destroying him for that happiness, but she could only give the command. Someone else would have to carry out the murder. He would need someone purely evil for that task, and as close as Rita was to that, a single shred of good remained in her heart.

Zell said a few soothing words to the now-weeping Caius before he vanished into time. The last thing he saw was Caius on his knees whispering the name of his beloved Mystic, who Zell had just ensured he would never see again.

Zell searched for the perfect vessel as he raced through the time line. He found her in Puritan Salem, Massachusetts in the 1600s. The girl was a young orphan who worked as a servant girl for a kindly Puritan family. She was sheltered and naive, and Zell had no trouble seducing the girl and putting her under his spell. She was powerless to refuse him and soon, she was with child. He knew the child was purely his, and the evil it possessed was so powerful that as he progressed her pregnancy with magic, his vessel died in childbirth.

He took the beautiful little girl from her mother's corpse and looked into her eyes. They were deceptively innocent. "I shall send you into the future once you have aged, my beloved daughter," Zell said. "There, you shall live with false memories as the perfect, innocent girl... They shall never see your true evil until it is too late to stop you. When the time is right, Rita shall order you to kill a boy, and you shall do it... This will allow my return, and we shall be reunited." He kissed her forehead and aged her.

Before him stood a beautiful girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. "My daughter..." He whispered. "I shall name you Katherine."

She smiled at him. "One day, when the time comes, you and I shall be reunited, my dear girl," he said. "Until then, know you are my daughter, and nothing you desire shall ever be denied to you." He wiped her surface memories as he sent her to the future. The 1990s were the decade which called to him, and he left her in a town called Angel Grove with her fake memories, parents who were merely a magical illusion, and a lovely Australian accent. He knew Katherine would not fail him.

ONE WEEK LATER.

DIMITRI

Word of Zell's true nature had spread slowly among the Chosen. Finally, they all knew his secret. Dimitri hated that they had no idea how to stop him. Caius had searched Zell's collection for anything that might tell them what he was up to.

"I found this," Caius said. He held up a glowing charm. Caius had withdrawn from them all significantly, and Dimitri was concerned, but it seemed Caius had no desire to discuss what was troubling him.

Galaxia paled. "It is identical to the charm which held Zell's light," she said. "Who else did he do this to?"

Zordon hesitated before taking the charm in his hands. He began to cry, which was the last thing any of them had expected.

"Zordon?" Dimitri asked gently. "What troubles you?"

"It is true... Every bit of it," Zordon whispered. He clutched the charm like his life depended on it. "I have failed her! It is my fault... I trusted him..."

"Zordon, my friend..." Raven said. "Tell us what this means."

Zordon looked at Morgana and sighed. "I did not know who she was," he began. "She told me her name was Misty, and we grew close... I loved her, but I never suspected who she truly was..."

"Zordon... What is it?" Morgana asked.

"She was not named Misty... She was Rita."

Morgana's eyes widened in shock. "Rita? My daughter?"

"Yes. She lives, Morgana... Master Vile made her a teenager. My father forbade me to tell you. He said the knowledge would only hurt you because..." He looked away. "I am so sorry, Morgana... She came to me for help. She ran away from her father. She told me he killed her cat."

"Bastard!" Galaxia declared.

"She said he was cruel, and she was afraid, and I... I believed my father would help her, but he..." Zordon looked at the charm in his hand. "He turned her evil instead. I believe it was by force. Rita was pure of heart, Morgana. She was... She was innocent, but he turned her... I am so sorry! The fault is mine."

Morgana looked like she might cry. "The fault is his," she said softly. She came closer and studied the charm, but she would not touch it. Dimitri put his arms around her, and finally, she turned to him and wept into his chest. "She is alive," she whispered. "My baby is alive."

"Yes, Morgana," Dimitri said softly.

"If it was forced upon her... If she did not make the choice herself... There is hope, Morgana," Galaxia said. She looked at Zordon. "May I see it?" She asked.

Zordon reluctantly released the charm. Galaxia focused on it. "She cannot hold the light right now," she said, "but one day, the love in her heart will grow, and she shall be pure enough for it to return."

"A mother's love is the only thing that will save her," Caius said, and the others knew he was speaking a prophecy. He did that at times. The flat tone he spoke in told them it was not Caius who was speaking now.

"Then I must find her," Morgana said.

"We will find her together, my love," Dimitri said. He had been afraid to call her that, but seeing her now, he knew he must embrace the truth. Only love would see them through this battle against Zell, and only love would protect her as she prepared to rescue her daughter.

She allowed him to kiss her. Dimitri saw something new in her. Morgana was ready to fight, no matter what it took.

Quintus shifted as the baby began to fuss. "We must plan to take action," he said as he comforted his son. "We likely do not have much time, and we cannot go in blind."

"First, I shall release this," Galaxia said. "The good shall return to Rita's heart when she is able to accept it." She crushed the charm and a thousand lights burst out, filling the air with color and hope before it vanished.

"I thought I was impressive," Raven said with a laugh. "Her light is magnificent."

Zordon steadied himself against a tree. He looked completely devastated. "We will save her, Zordon," Dimitri said. "Whatever it takes."

"Can you ever forgive me?" Zordon asked Morgana.

Morgana touched his cheek gently and wiped away a tear. "There is nothing to forgive," she told him. "You have confirmed my daughter still lives. That is the greatest gift you ever could have bestowed upon me. The rest can be fixed." She hugged him.

Dimitri hoped she was right. He wanted to believe they could save Rita, but he knew it would not be an easy task. It concerned him even more that they were about to battle Zell, who none of them could stand against on their own. Would uniting be enough?

RAVEN

He knew they were close to a battle they might not survive. Raven looked at his friends and said, "Before we do anything, I must do something on my own. I shall return swiftly... If Xia can portal me?"

"And when you wish to return?" Galaxia asked.

"We can agree on a set amount of time."

She nodded. "Sure. When would you like to go?"

"Now."

Galaxia looked surprised, but shrugged. She took him away and said, "Envision where you want to go."

"That is easy," Raven said. He closed his eyes and whispered, "Home." A minute later, he was there.

The village looked as he remembered. Children ran around playing. Men and women laughed and smiled. Everyone stopped to stare at him.

"Raven?" A voice asked.

"Harmony..." He whispered. He turned around and she ran into his arms.

"We thought you were dead! The others..." She shook her head. "How did you survive?"

Raven smiled. "Come. I shall show you." He took his girlfriend aside and began to sing. His light filled the dark room.

"Extraordinary!" Harmony whispered. "You have come back blessed by the Gods!"

"Perhaps," Raven said. "Is Mother here?"

"Of course. Your parents and little brother are all here... As is someone else." She took his hand and led him to another room. "This is Horus Taylor... Named after the sun God because a brilliant light bathed the village the day he was born... He is my miracle, Raven... My piece of you, who I thought was lost to me."

"He is yours? Then..."

"He is your son, Raven. Our beautiful boy."

Raven cradled the baby in his arms. He'd never been so happy in his life. His son seemed to smile up at him and Raven felt his light radiating stronger than ever.

That night, he forgot about being Chosen. He played music in tribute to his fallen friends. He told his village the truth about what had happened to them. Then, as was traditional, he played the most festive songs he knew, lifting the spirits of everyone in the village and helping them move on. This closure was important.

Raven ate with his family. He hugged his parents and brother and kissed Harmony and held their son. He told them vaguely that he was part of something now which required he return soon. They savored their time together. He knew it might be the last time he saw any of them, but he could not bear to tell them that. Instead, he made them laugh, and entertained them, and held on tight to every moment they spent together.

At the agreed-upon time, part of him did not want to leave, but he knew he must. "Take care of our boy," Raven said. He kissed his son before placing him safely in Harmony's arms. "I adore you, you wonderful woman! When I return home, we shall be married, if you still love me."

"Always, my glorious Raven," Harmony replied. "I am already your wife in my heart."

"In mine as well, my sweet Harmony. Always." He kissed her a final time before leaving, deciding that no matter what, he would make it back home one day to keep his vow.

CAIUS

Every moment had become harder to bear knowing they would never end. Caius had never wanted to become immortal. A single day living without Rose was unbearable. A lifetime was incomprehensible.

He spent his time split between planning for a battle they all knew they could not win and becoming lost in his grief. With one spell, Zell had taken even the possibility of death from him. He had not told the others. How could he begin to explain how cruel Zell's actions had actually been?

It was Zordon who finally asked. "Caius... Something has changed in you... You have become truly lost," he said. "What happened?"

Caius looked at Zordon sadly. "Your father, in his infinite wisdom, has decided the only way to protect me from the Death God is to ensure I can never die," he said.

"He made you immortal? Against your will?" Zordon looked horrified. "Oh, Caius... I am so sorry."

"It is not you who should feel sorry. I do not understand his choice... If he is evil, I would think he would want me vulnerable... But regardless, I cannot die. Ever. I am cursed to walk this Earth for eternity." Caius could not stop himself from crying. "Forgive me. There are much more important matters-"

Zordon hugged him. "Caius... It is terribly unfair to you. I understand why you are upset."

Caius nodded. "Thank you. I need to remain composed for the others, but it has proven difficult."

"I know that feeling well, Caius."

"I know you do. I see how strong you insist on being for us." He paused. "Your efforts do not go unnoticed, Zordon."

Zordon smiled sadly. "That is good to know."

Caius suddenly lost awareness of the present. What he saw instead troubled him deeply. It was the girl from his earlier vision, born evil to her very core. She laughed as she danced in flames that removed the illusion of her purity and released what truly lived inside of her shell. Time moved even further and she stood, invisible, watching something...

There were two boys. One of them looked so much like Caius, it was impossible to deny he was related to him. Caius had left behind two brothers and a sister when he left to stay with the Mystics, so he assumed the boy descended from one of them. He knew he would never have children of his own. The only woman he would ever love was dead.

The evil girl, who was now a woman, pricked him with some sort of needle and suddenly, the boy could not breathe. Caius felt as though he were the one unable to draw breath. His visions had never affected him on that level before. Suddenly, Caius saw the very deity who had sworn to have his revenge on him take the terrified boy away as the one he'd been with screamed his name, sobbing and begging him not to die.

Caius returned to the present and found Zordon shaking him. "What is it? Why do you claw at your throat?" He asked.

"I... It was a vision... A vision of a boy," Caius said as he began to catch his breath. "He could not breathe... He was dying... He did die, and the God who has cursed me took him..."

"He was your descendant?"

"I do not see how. I shall have no children, Zordon. That is no longer my path." Caius hesitated. "He did look like me, however. And the girl who killed him was familiar... I cannot place why. I do not know her." Caius shook his head. "I must protect him, Zordon. I felt the boy's pain as though it were my own. He is innocent. I cannot let him perish."

"Caius... Your attachment to the boy suggests-"

"It suggests nothing. I believe he is of my bloodline, but not my child. I do not want children. I cannot condemn them to what the Death God has in mind."

"You are immortal, Caius. That is a long time to damn yourself to being alone."

"Because of Zell, I shall spend an eternity walking this Earth. I shall never see Rose again. I shall be forced to watch everyone else be granted the sweet kindness of death while I remain... I shall bury my friends. I shall bury all of you. Is that not punishment enough? Must I be forced to bury my own children as well?" His voice was louder than he ever spoke. His heart ached. He still could not breathe, and in truth, he knew that boy... that kind, innocent boy... was his son. In his heart, he already loved him, and he could not condemn the boy to an eternity of torture at the hands of a God with a vendetta he had nothing to do with. He also could not stand the idea of letting himself love a child only to have time snatch him away far too soon.

"Caius..." Zordon said softly. His eyes were filled with pity.

"I am not strong enough," Caius whispered. "I barely survived losing Rose. I cannot survive any more losses."

Zordon took his hand in his own. "You are much stronger than you know, Caius," he said. "I am so sorry for what my father has taken from you, but I know if anyone can find a way to continue, it is you."

"Well, I haven't much choice now, have I?" Caius asked. Then he surprised himself by laughing. Zordon looked stunned, but soon, he began laughing, too.

"No, my friend, I suppose you don't," he said.

It felt strange to laugh, but it helped. Caius was not one to laugh easily anymore, but connecting to that boy had filled his heart with the slightest bit of hope. The boy's enthusiasm and strength was infectious. Perhaps he could learn something from him, and if somehow the child was actually conceived far in the future, perhaps Caius could find a way to save him from the fate he had seen.

ONE WEEK LATER.

RITA

She was deliciously evil and she loved it. Her father was finally proud of her. He encouraged everything she did and she'd mastered her magic much quicker since turning. On some level, she missed the girl she had been, but her mind kept insisting she was far better off now.

When her father called her for a special mission, Rita quickly accepted. "What shall I do?" She asked.

"There is a group who must be destroyed. They are a threat to all evil," he said. "You shall be working with someone who is not trustworthy, but we share a common goal and have called a ceasefire until we achieve it." He turned toward the mysterious partner. "Lord Xylon... I present to you my daughter, Rita Repulsa."

"My... How lovely," Lord Xylon said. He smiled at her before kissing her hand.

"Be warned, Xylon... If you do more than kiss her hand, I shall end you," her father said.

"Master Vile, I would never violate such a lovely girl!" Xylon said.

"Do not waste my time with lies. Keep your anatomy to yourself."

"Of course. Now, where is my boy?" Xylon paused. "Zedd! Come."

"Father." A boy in a cloak said. When he turned toward Rita, she saw something reflecting off of his face.

"This is Rita. She shall be working with us for our mission. Kindly introduce yourself."

"I am Zedd," the boy said. He took Rita's hand and kissed it as his father had. She felt something strange touch her flesh.

"What was that?" Rita asked.

"Forgive my daughter. She is a curious girl," her father said.

Zedd removed his hood. Rita gasped and stepped backward into her father's arms. "What is wrong with his flesh?" She asked in horror. She had never seen anyone so terrifying-looking before.

"My son had an accident," Xylon explained.

"It was no accident," Zedd snapped. "I touched the Zeo Crystal and it burned off my flesh. Any other foolish questions?"

"Why would you do that?" Rita asked. She was afraid of this boy, but even evil, her curiosity was strong. She could not help but ask.

"Because I felt like it."

"But... Why? What was to gain?"

"The Zeo Crystal is the most powerful thing in the universe," Xylon said. "My son is far more ambitious than I previously believed. Unfortunately, the damage cannot be reversed, even with his abilities as an incubus." He shook his head. "Pity. He was so handsome."

Rita could not imagine what Zedd had looked like before, but he certainly wasn't handsome now. "How did you survive the burns?" She asked.

"Does she ever stop asking questions?" Zedd asked her father.

"Enough, Rita. Leave the boy alone and stop pestering him," her father said.

"I am sorry, Father. I was merely cur-" Rita began.

"Curious. I know, my dear. You always are." He shook his head, but he was not angry with her. He never became angry with her anymore. "I assure you, my daughter will be of great use to you," he told Zedd.

"Doubtful. I can do this alone, Father," Zedd said.

"You may not question me, Boy," Xylon snapped.

Zedd seemed unaffected by his sudden anger. "Let's just do what we must," he said. "I grow bored."

They left to go to an undisclosed location. There, they saw several teenagers in battle. They were fighting monsters Rita knew her father had sent and others she assumed were Xylon's. She hesitated when she recognized them.

The girl who had saved her with Zordon was there. So was the girl who had saved her at the marketplace. Finally, Rita noticed the boy who'd comforted her that day.

These are Zordon's friends, she realized. She froze. She wanted to hurt them. She wanted to punish them all for what she had become... But she could not harm those who had saved her life. Instead, she focused on the boy with the sword who seemed to be leading them.

She nearly blew him to pieces with a spell, but it missed. Rita regrouped and began flinging things at him with her mind.

"Dimitri!" The boy who had played the guitar at the marketplace cried. He began working to protect him. Rita did not want to harm him. Suddenly, she saw a much better target.

"Zordon." She spat his name out.

Zordon stared at her. "Rita?" He asked.

"Well, it is certainly not Misty," Rita taunted him. She moved toward him, suddenly filled with overwhelming hatred. She grabbed him and pulled him into her arms, kissing him forcefully like his father had done to her. On some small level, Rita still loved the funny blue boy, but all she could think of now were his father's actions. Zordon had betrayed her. He had practically served her up to his father on a platter.

Zordon pulled away as Rita groped him. "Rita..." He said. She could tell he was horrified by her actions.

"What's wrong, Zordon?" She demanded. "Don't you like me anymore?! I am new and improved! Do you know why? This is what your father turned me into! This is your fault! You did this to me!" She screamed. Rita began beating his chest with her fists, hitting him until her own hands ached, but he did not strike her back. He did not so much as resist her attack or try to defend himself. She looked into his eyes and realized he was crying silently.

Rita pulled back. She turned and fled before he could stop her. She focused on making the remaining monsters grow. She didn't like to make Zordon cry, but she could not let go of her hatred. It consumed her. It was all she had left.

ZEDD

The attack on the Chosen was brutal. Zedd played his part, attacking Dimitri, Quintus, and even Caius, who had been so kind to him. He left Zordon alone when he saw him break down in tears as Rita attacked him. There was no need to kick his former friend while he was down.

He heard Morgana crying and hesitated. Master Vile had gone straight for her while he'd attacked Dimitri. Zedd did the only thing he could for the girl and knocked her unconscious. It was kinder than leaving her awake for whatever Vile had planned. He was too evil to actually help her, but that didn't mean he wanted to listen to her hysteria.

He left Dimitri as Raven again came to his aid. He should have killed them both. He could have killed them both easily. Dimitri was severely wounded and Raven was too distracted by that fact to see an attack coming. He couldn't do it, however. As Raven began singing softly to try to comfort his best friend, Zedd recalled the many nights he'd spent doing the same for him. When nothing else had soothed his nightmares, Raven had.

"I shall spare your life," Zedd told him coldly. "This time. Take Dimitri and go."

"Zedd?" Raven realized in horror. "What has happened to you?"

"Go. I cannot buy you any more time."

Raven nodded. "Thank you, my friend," he said softly. He got Dimitri on his feet and helped him get out of the line of fire.

That was when Zedd turned and saw the only one who could truly shake him up. "Xia..." He whispered. His father had pinned her in a corner and was ready to harm or possibly even kill her. She was nearly as wounded as Dimitri had been. Zedd did not love her... But he remembered loving her, and that was enough.

"Unhand her." He said harshly.

His father laughed. "Still protecting your whore, Boy?" He asked.

"Her name is Xia, and she is no whore," Zedd said.

"Zedd? What did they do to you?" Galaxia asked in horror. That hurt Zedd in a way he hadn't expected. He was finally terrifying enough in appearance to repulse even Galaxia.

"Release her now, or see what I have truly become," Zedd told his father.

"Foolish boy... She cannot love you now. You disgust her," his father said.

"He could never disgust me!" Galaxia said. "You, however, are deeply repulsive."

Zedd decided enough was enough. It was time to complete his plan. He had intended to wait until he was stronger, and to earn his father's trust, but Galaxia was in terrible danger.

If you fail, he will torture you for eternity, he realized. Looking into Galaxia's beautiful eyes, he knew one thing. She is worth the price.

Zedd grabbed his father's arm and began trying to drain his life force. He was stunned when he felt it working. It was impossible for an incubus to drain another incubus or a succubus, but somehow, Zedd had the power to do it. His father stared at him in shock before blacking out.

Zedd quickly healed Galaxia's injuries. He knew she could not escape if he left her in the state she was in. He said nothing and refused to look at her as he did it.

"Zedd..." Galaxia whispered. She touched his face without flinching. "You saved me."

"Vile has Morgana. You may wish to save her," he said. He knew she wanted to protest, but the threat to Morgana was impossible to ignore. She ran off to save her and Zedd knew she would succeed. He waited nearby and watched the rest of the battle.

When Galaxia returned with Morgana in her arms, Zedd looked for the others. Quintus joined the girls and took Morgana into his arms. He began to inspect her, but Zedd knew she was going to be fine. Vile had not done much damage and he had not done anything that would traumatize the girl. Galaxia nodded at him, a silent thank you for his help, but she did not approach him. He looked for Zordon and saw that he was exactly where Rita had attacked him. He stared into space, his eyes haunted. It was Caius who approached him and led him to the others. Dimitri and Raven were already outside. Zedd knew they would all escape with their lives, especially since the monsters were dead. Vile lay crumpled on the ground and Zedd knew Galaxia must have attacked him. He assumed Rita would take care of her father. He had to worry about his own.

"Come, Father," he said cheerfully. He began dragging his father away.

"Zedd? What are you doing?" Rita asked.

"It's Lord Zedd now," he informed her. "And you, my curious Rita, may tell the world that I now reign over my father's former empire." He laughed. "It is time for my father to rest. I suspect two centuries of napping is precisely what he needs." With that, he teleported to his home. He opened the door to the room he'd always feared and locked his father inside, determined to keep the door sealed for the next two centuries. Eventually, his father would wake, and then, he would starve slowly until Zedd released him.

"Who is the foolish one now, Father?" He asked. Then, he began to laugh. Finally, Zedd was free from his father's reign of terror. Everything was going to change.


	8. Chapter Eight

MORGANA

She had almost wanted to be captured by Master Vile. He had her daughter, and Morgana was determined to save her. Unfortunately, he still terrified her, and the moment he'd grabbed her, she'd started to cry.

You are no warrior, she told herself. You are merely a frightened servant girl. She had to change that. If she was ever going to save Rita, Morgana needed to be the warrior she pretended to be in battle.

Everyone was in horrible shape. Dimitri was so severely injured, he had needed to be left on the healing bed for two straight days. Raven, whose own injuries were concerning as well, had refused to leave his side. Once she had woken up, Morgana had panicked, thinking she was still with Master Vile. It was Quintus who comforted her and made her realize she was safe. Holding the baby had helped. Quintus gently whispered soothing words to her as she wept and trembled. He was in the best condition, barely wounded but obviously upset by how badly everyone else had been hurt. Caius was wounded, but healing quickly. He had retreated into silence as he obsessively studied books and any scroll he could find. Galaxia had locked herself in Zedd's former room, where she now always slept.

That day, Morgana and Quintus found her sobbing into Zedd's pillow again. "He is still Zedd," she whispered.

"Oh, Xia..." Morgana said sympathetically.

"He is evil, but he is still himself... He still cares for us... He saved me from his father..."

"He remembers loving you," Quintus reminded her gently. "But he is cursed, Xia. He cannot love."

"I know... But he helped us, Quin. He saved me. He spared Raven's life and let him save Dimitri. He waited until he knew we were all safe before he left... And he is the one who knocked you out, Morgana. I know his magic. He must have thought it was kinder than leaving you awake for Master Vile to torture. He even told me you were in immediate danger and that I should save you." She paused. "He is unable to be with us, but he still cares. He is still Zedd..." She began to cry again. "It would have been easier to grieve his loss if he had died. This is cruel... Knowing he is out there and I cannot help him..."

"Xia, I am so sorry," Quintus said. "We all wish to save him... Believe me, Zedd is loved."

"I know... Even Winnie grieves him... She has given up. She will not run, and she only eats for me. I fear for her..."

"Winnie is strong. She will survive this," Morgana said. "As will you."

"I will survive, yes," Galaxia agreed, "but I will never stop mourning him... Especially if we keep running into him."

"Let us hope we do not have another confrontation like that," Quintus said.

"We only escaped with our lives because Zedd betrayed his father," Caius said from the doorway. It was the first time he had spoken since the battle. "We must do better. We cannot survive our true battle in this state. Without Zedd, we are not strong enough to stop Zell." He spoke freely because Zell had retreated into time on a mission and they knew they were safe for a short time.

"We cannot give up," Quintus said.

"If we cannot defeat Xylon and Vile, we cannot defeat Zell. I am not giving up. I am simply pointing out we must do better."

"We shall," Galaxia said. "Zordon can train us harder-"

"Zordon is a shell right now," Caius said sadly. "He is going through the motions, but he hurts deeply."

"What happened to him?" Morgana asked. Knowing they could not fight off such an attack alone, Zordon had insisted on helping them even though Zell had forbidden him from joining in battles.

"He saw Rita, Morgana... She attacked him."

Morgana's heart ached. "She must not have meant it..."

"She meant it." Zordon's voice startled them. "Breakfast is ready."

"Zordon... I am sorry she hurt you," Morgana said softly.

"It was I who hurt her. Her wrath was justified. Come eat."

"You could not have known."

"I should have. I must go clean the kitchen-"

"Zordon..." Galaxia touched his arm gently. "Let us help."

"Maintaining the farm is my responsibility."

"That is not what I meant, however that should change. You are not a slave, Zordon. We all live here. We should all help."

"I am happy to," Morgana said. "Farm work is soothing."

"I can help with the kitchen. It is my holy place," Quintus added.

Zordon merely shrugged. He appeared to lack the energy to argue. "If that is what you wish to do, so be it," he said. He walked away.

"Poor Zordon..." Quintus said softly.

"He needs time," Caius said.

The baby began fussing. "Yes, yes, my son... It is time for breakfast," Quintus said. He looked at the others. "Shall we fetch Raven?"

"He will not leave Dimitri," Caius reminded him.

"I shall bring him his meal," Galaxia offered.

No one argued. They all knew Galaxia needed to be near Raven's light for a bit. Morgana went to the kitchen to find milk for Quang Bu.

"The bottle is on the counter," Zordon told her. "I prepared it as I heard him fussing."

"Thank you," Morgana said. She gently touched Zordon's hand. He flinched, but did not pull away. After a moment, he resumed cleaning the kitchen.

"Are you not eating with us?" Quintus asked.

"I need to clean the kitchen," Zordon said again.

Galaxia looked at the others with alarm as she picked up Raven's plate and her own. She levitated juice for them as she carried the plates away.

"Zordon... There is no mess to clean," Morgana said gently. Indeed, the kitchen appeared to be immaculate.

"It is not good enough!" Zordon snapped. He began scrubbing harder at the spot he was trying to clean. "Do you not see it? No matter what I do, it is never good enough!"

Morgana gently took the cloth from his trembling hand. At the loss of the cloth, Zordon began to weep. His legs seemed to give out on him, and he clung to the counter for support. Morgana wrapped him in her arms.

"Shhh..." She whispered soothingly. "I know she hurt you deeply... But none of this is your fault."

"I love her..." Zordon whispered. "I love her, so my father destroyed her..." He sobbed into her hair, unable to keep his pain inside any longer.

No one spoke as Zordon released his pain. Eventually, however, Caius joined in the hug as Quintus fed the baby. He usually let Morgana do it because it soothed her, but he had learned to do it himself for times such as this.

Morgana was surprised when Raven appeared. He looked deeply exhausted, but seeing Zordon in tears, he immediately began strumming the guitar in his hands.

"You should go downstairs, Morgana," Raven said. "Dimitri is finally awake."

Relief flooded through her. She wanted to run to Dimitri, but she could not abandon Zordon. "I should stay until-" She began.

"Go to him," Zordon managed to say. "He needs you. I have Raven and the others. I shall be fine."

Morgana nodded. She hugged him a final time before heading downstairs.

DIMITRI

His entire body ached from battle. He could hardly believe he was still alive. Attacking the monsters had been one thing, and he had done it with ease, but then it had become more personal. The girl who had attacked him had surprised him. She was quite young, and her eyes were familiar... That must have been Rita, he thought. She looked remarkably like Morgana, only her eyes were wild and she was full of anger.

That had been hard enough. Dimitri had deflected as much of the attack as he could, but he did not want to harm the child. For whatever reason, she had fled at the sight of Raven. When they split from each other again, Dimitri found himself facing Zedd. He had hesitated for only a moment, but it gave Zedd the upper hand. He had done a remarkable amount of damage in a very short amount of time. Dimitri had been left dying on the ground with no hope of escaping on his own.

Raven had rushed to his side once more. Dimitri was worried Zedd would kill them both, but then something impossible happened. As Raven sang to him soothingly, Dimitri saw Zedd hesitate. As he passed out from blood loss, he heard Zedd tell Raven to take him and run.

He is evil... Why would he spare us? Dimitri wondered.

His thoughts were interrupted as Zell called to him from the energy tube. "Dimitri... Are you well, my boy?" He asked. He had only just returned.

"I believe so, yes," Dimitri said. He forced himself to add, "Thank you for using the healing bed. I fear I may not have recovered on my own."

"You fought bravely, Dimitri. I am quite proud of you."

"Thank you, Great Zell." He bowed respectfully and was relieved it did not make him dizzy. He did appear to be fully healed.

"No, my dear boy. Thank you for your courage. You are a wonderful leader. You truly understand what must be done, and that sometimes, sacrifices must be made for the greater good."

"Dimitri?" Morgana called.

"Morgana..." Dimitri replied. Suddenly, he felt like he could truly breathe again. "Are you hurt?"

"No. My injuries were minor... And it appears Zedd caused me to lose consciousness, protecting me from whatever Mas... Whatever he had planned." She shuddered.

Dimitri pulled her into his arms. "You are safe, my love. That is all that matters," he said.

"How do you feel?" She asked.

"I am well... And perhaps a bit hungry."

"Come. Zordon prepared more than enough breakfast, and I have not eaten yet either." Morgana turned toward Zell and added, "Welcome home, Great Zell." She took Dimitri's hand and led him upstairs. "Zell has returned," she said.

"Wonderful," Galaxia said. "He is needed."

"Yes... I fear we are unprepared for another attack at the present time," Caius added.

"His guidance is appreciated," Quintus added.

They knew Zell was listening. They had been working hard to keep this act up for weeks. It was becoming difficult. They knew he would catch on to their rouse soon.

"How do you feel, Dimitri?" Caius asked.

"I am well," he reassured them.

Zordon presented him with a plate of food. He also set one in front of Morgana. His eyes were red. It was obvious he had been crying. Dimitri looked at Morgana questioningly. She shook her head and he knew now was not the time to ask.

We were all nearly slaughtered, he thought. We are incomplete without Zedd... How are we ever supposed to defeat Zell if we cannot defeat the likes of Lord Xylon and Master Vile? He feared for his team. As the leader, he was responsible for their lives, yet he had nearly lost his own and could have cost Raven his as well.

"Dimitri?" Morgana called gently. "You have hardly touched your food."

"My apologies," he said quickly. He began eating, barely tasting the food as he forced himself to keep consuming it. He was too distracted to worry about food. He had the terrible sense that they were about to run out of time.

THREE DAYS LATER.

QUINTUS

They were being sent on another mission. Quintus hugged his son before leaving the child in Alpha's care. This had become standard practice, as he could not bring the child into battle and Zordon was not always available. Alpha had proven to be a very capable babysitter, and Caius had played with his circuits to ensure that no matter what command Zell might give, Alpha would protect the child above all else.

"I love you, Q. B," he said. He'd begun calling the boy by his initials recently. If Quang Bu was anything like him, he would want a name that sounded more fun than a given name might.

"Quin? Are you ready to go?" Galaxia asked.

"Yes. Take care of him, Alpha," Quintus said.

"As always, Quin," Alpha replied.

Galaxia opened a portal and they left for their latest battle. Immediately, Quintus knew something was off. "These are not Vile's creations," he said.

"I do not believe them to be Xylon's either," Galaxia said.

"Then who sent them?" Morgana asked nervously.

They all knew the answer. This was a set-up. Zell had sent them into a massacre, and they could not let on that they knew. Caius looked around nervously before drawing his sword. Dimitri led the way as they raced into battle, ready to face whatever they must.

We will survive this, Quintus told himself. He thought of Quang Bu, safe with Alpha, and knew he had to do everything in his power to return home to him. He could not leave his son so near Zell. Alpha could only protect the boy for so long before Zell would just destroy him to get what he wanted.

Stop thinking like that, he scolded himself. They may have been set up, but that did not mean Zell knew they were aware of his true nature. They might still be safe from an immediate attack.

As a dozen or so monsters ran straight at Galaxia, Quintus began making fire balls and releasing them rapidly. One by one, the monsters caught on fire. Galaxia used her magic to destroy the ones Quintus did not set ablaze.

"Teamwork!" Galaxia declared. She laughed as a monster tried to grab her from behind and tossed him across the room without so much as looking at him.

Against all odds, they were doing well. Morgana, Dimitri, and Raven stood together on the other side of the room, battling their own group of monsters. Caius had placed his sword at his side so he could rig some of the alien technology in the room to protect them. Caius was excessively good at figuring out complicated technology. Quintus watched as he fired off several weapons at once toward the army of monsters surrounding Morgana, Dimitri, and Raven. He noticed the building shook as Caius did this, but there did not appear to be any serious damage to the structure.

"Quin! Watch out!" Galaxia shouted.

Quintus barely ducked out of the way of an attack from another monster. He immediately tried to fling fire at it, but the monster flung his own ball of fire back toward him. "Ah! A kindred spirit!" Quintus said. He rather enjoyed battling the fire monsters. It kept his skills sharp.

When the monster sent a ball of fire at Galaxia, Quintus screamed, "Xia!" Galaxia barely managed to wave the fire ball away from herself with magic. Quintus decided enough was enough and pulled out his sword. He decapitated the monster in one swift motion and his blade burst into flames. This was not uncommon and Quintus was not alarmed. Much like him, the blade was fireproof, and even when it lit up, it remained undamaged. Quintus hoped he and the blade would remain that way for the rest of the battle.

RAVEN

He was in full-on battle mode now. Things were getting very ugly very quickly. He battled with Dimitri's back to his, as they often did in the most dire of situations. Raven watched as Morgana covered them with every spell she could think of. He had never seen half of them, nor had he known she knew how to battle so fiercely with magic. Morgana usually focused more on defensive spells to protect everyone rather than spells which attacked. That was no longer the case.

"They know our weaknesses," she said in horror.

"She is right. It is as though these monsters anticipate my every move," Dimitri said.

"We must keep fighting, my friends," Raven said. He spread some of his light around to soothe them. "Have faith."

Dimitri moved in sync with Raven as they continued to battle the monsters. All was going well until Morgana let out a scream of pain. One of the monsters had impaled her.

"Morgana!" Dimitri cried.

"Go to her," Raven said. "I shall cover you."

Dimitri ran to her side while Raven kept the monsters away from him. He fought fiercely, using every skill Dimitri had ever taught him and adding his own impulsive spin to the fight. No one could predict what he would do, and that was the only thing protecting them now.

Raven pushed the monsters back into a corner. He turned to look at his friends just as he heard a laugh inside of his head. He knew it was Zell. A chill ran down his spine just before the building began to shake and the ceiling collapsed. He did not have time to move or react as he thought, Protect them. His light poured out of him as the pieces of the ceiling came crashing down on top of him.

CAIUS

The sound of the ceiling collapsing on the other end of the room caught his attention. Dimitri screamed out, "Raven!"

"No!" Morgana added in horror.

Dimitri immediately ran toward the rubble. Galaxia and Quintus hurried to his side and they began trying to pull it apart, desperately searching for their friend.

Caius turned around when he felt someone watching him. Relief flooded through him when he realized it was Raven. "Raven? Thank the Gods... You are safe!" He said.

Raven looked at him with a sad smile. "Caius..." He said softly.

Caius studied him. "No..." He whispered. "It... It cannot be."

"Caius, my friend... I need you to do something for me. Please."

Caius felt overwhelmed as he could no longer deny the truth. Raven had been killed when the ceiling inexplicably collapsed. "Oh, Raven... Please... Do not let it be true."

"I'm sorry, my friend. Truly."

"What can I do? You are dead... You are lost to us..." Caius felt tears in his eyes.

"Do not weep for me, my dear friend. I am well. I am at peace... But please, Caius... Retrieve my body and bring it back to my village. Xia knows where it is. And bring my guitar and my flute... The guitar is for my son. It is his by right."

"Your son?" Caius asked in horror. Raven had left behind a child? That was too horrible to comprehend.

"Yes, my wonderful boy... I only learned of him recently. He is beautiful, Caius... And happy. He must have my guitar. It is meant for him."

"I will bring it to him."

"Thank you, my friend... And my flute... That is to go to my beloved Harmony, the boy's mother, so that her lips may touch mine once more. Tell her I shall always be with her, so long as she keeps the flute near."

Caius nodded. "Of course. Whatever you need, Raven... I... I am so sorry..."

"Do not be sorry for me, Caius. I shall be fine. But you must not give up, my friend. You all still have a battle to win. I believe in you. I shall be with you. Tell them, Caius. Tell them they cannot give up."

Caius wanted to give up himself, but he nodded again. "Go to them now, my friend," Raven said before fading away.

Caius joined them. Morgana was trying to use magic to move aside some rubble because she was too injured to attempt it physically. Galaxia was using telekinesis to move pieces aside rapidly. Quintus and Dimitri were digging so much that their hands had started to bleed. Caius joined them.

"Raven!" Dimitri called. "Answer me!"

"Dimitri..." Caius said gently.

"He is here. He must be..."

"Dimitri, listen to me. Please..."

"Not now, Caius. We must hurry. There is no time to waste! He is likely very wounded."

"He's gone, Dimitri!" Caius cried out.

Dimitri stared at him. "No." He said. "No. That is not possible. He survived. I know he did."

"Dimitri... I saw him. Standing over there... Asking me to recover his body for his family." Caius was crying freely now. That is what made Dimitri stop.

"Raven..." He whispered. He refused to allow his own tears to fall, and instead, he took a deep breath. "We must find him. He deserves a proper funeral," he said to the others.

"Not Raven..." Galaxia whispered in horror.

"Zell did this," Quintus said.

"Quin, hush!" Galaxia whispered.

"No... He is not trying to hide anymore. I heard him laughing."

"As did I," Caius admitted.

"He spoke to me," Dimitri admitted. "He said my leadership would never be enough to save us."

"Why would he reveal himself now?" Galaxia asked.

"He is ready to destroy us," Morgana whispered. "This was his warning..."

"Warning? He's murdered Raven! How is that a warning?" Quintus demanded.

"He could have killed us all today," Dimitri said. "He simply revealed he is the one in power." He stared at the rubble. "Help me find him," he said softly. "We must bring Raven home."

Galaxia hesitated. "Zordon," she said. "If Zell has revealed himself, Zordon is not safe. He is alone at the farm with him."

"Send me," Quintus said. "I shall retrieve Zordon and get my son out of there as well."

"Bring Alpha," Caius said. "He will help us. I have seen it. Also... Raven has requested his guitar and flute be brought back to his family along with his body."

Quintus nodded. "I shall retrieve them," he promised.

Galaxia opened the portal. Quintus vanished. Caius and Dimitri began sifting through the rubble again, searching for Raven while Galaxia focused on healing Morgana as much as she could.

It was Dimitri who finally found him. He pulled his best friend's corpse into his arms and whispered, "I am so sorry, Brother..."

"My dear Raven..." Galaxia said with a sigh. She gently stroked his head as her tears began to fall. Morgana was openly weeping as she wrapped her arms around Dimitri, who would not release Raven's body.

Caius closed his eyes and chose not to stare at Raven's body. He preferred to remember him alive and smiling, the way he had always been.

Quintus returned. Alpha held his son while Quintus held Raven's instruments. Zordon stared at Raven's body and whispered, "Oh, Raven..." He knelt beside Dimitri and everyone else moved aside to give them space. "I can take him if you like," he said gently.

"No," Dimitri said. He held Raven slightly tighter.

"You may carry him home, Dimitri. That is fitting, I think... But we must go now."

Dimitri nodded slowly. "Very well," he said. He stood and scooped Raven's body up in his arms.

"Go through without me," Galaxia said as she opened the portal.

"Xia, you must come with us," Zordon said. "It is not safe at the farm now."

"I know," Galaxia replied, "but there is one thing I must do. I shall meet up with you after."

Zordon did not protest. Dimitri led the way through the portal, carrying their fallen friend as everyone else followed. Most of them were in tears. As they arrived in the village, they were greeted by several people.

"Raven?" A woman asked in horror. She burst into tears at the sight of his body and Caius knew who she must be.

"Harmony?" He asked gently.

"Yes..." She whispered.

"He asked me to give you this... So your lips might kiss his once more, and so he may always remain with you." He handed her the flute.

Harmony fell to her knees as she clutched the flute to her chest. She kissed the mouthpiece once before resuming clinging to it. "My beloved..." She whispered. "Now, I have lost you twice..."

"Raven was a hero," Dimitri said. "Without him, I would not be standing here. None of us would."

The villagers gathered around as he spoke, so he told them the story. He tried to keep emotion out of his voice, but Caius knew that on the inside, Dimitri was completely broken.

A baby began to cry. Harmony ran to the bed he slept in and pulled him into her arms. "This is Horus... Raven's son," she said.

The Chosen stared in shock, but Caius nodded. He took the guitar from Quintus. "This is for the boy," he said.

Harmony began to cry again. She hugged Caius. "You have given us a gift. Thank you," she said. "The first time we lost Raven, we had no body to release... No piece of him left behind except memories and our son... At least this time, we have closure. We may honor him properly and release his spirit." She paused. "Will you honor him with us?"

"Of course," Caius said.

"We have nowhere else to go anyway," Quintus mumbled.

"Then you must stay here," Harmony said quickly. "You are Raven's friends. You have brought him home to us. This makes you family. Please stay as long as you need to. You shall be safe here."

"We cannot endanger them," Zordon said. "My father would destroy them all if he found us here."

"We are not the weak innocents you believe," Harmony promised. "If I understand correctly, your father took much from my village... We lost seven of our own in that cave at his hand... And now, we have lost my beloved. This is as much our fight as it is yours."

"We need somewhere to recover," Caius pointed out. "This may be our best option."

"Then it is settled. You shall stay here until it is time for you to leave," Harmony said. "Come. We must prepare to say goodbye."

Caius could not imagine how any of them could prepare for such a task, but he followed Harmony with the others. The time had come. They would have to let Raven go. His spirit was right. There was still a battle to be fought.

GALAXIA

She arrived on the farm and went straight to the stables. Winifred lay on the ground as she had done for the better part of the time since Zedd had left them. "Come on, Winnie," Galaxia said gently. She fed the horse by hand, coaxing her into accepting the food. "I know you miss him, Girl. I do, too... More than anything... But we cannot stay here now, and I shall not leave you behind."

Winifred stood reluctantly. Galaxia smiled and pet her. "We have a journey to make, Winnie... And I need you to be strong," she said. "I am going to do something unconventional, my dear friend. I know something of the future... One day, a long time from now, a boy much like our beloved Zedd will be born, and he will need a friend... He will need a faithful companion to protect him, because his journey shall not be an easy one. He will be of Zedd's blood, Winnie, and through him, Zedd's light shall be reborn. I believe only you can truly protect and love such a special boy. Are you up for the job?"

Winifred let out a cry that Galaxia knew meant she understood that protecting Zedd had once been her purpose in life, and now she was meant to protect this boy. Galaxia took a deep breath and began to cast a spell that would turn the horse immortal. Part of her reasoning was just as she'd said. This boy would need help in the future, and only Winifred could help him as she had helped Zedd. The truth of the matter, however, was that Winifred was the last piece of Zedd Galaxia had left and she was unwilling to risk ever having to say goodbye to her.

"Come on, Winnie. We must go to the others," Galaxia said. She opened a portal and headed to Raven's village. She found the others immediately.

"Winnie. Now it makes sense why you left us," Caius said.

"She belongs with us," Galaxia said. "I could not leave her for Zell to harm."

"Of course she belongs here," Zordon said. "We should have thought to bring her ourselves."

"They will hold the ceremony shortly," Morgana said through her tears. Galaxia hugged her friend, hoping to comfort her. She saw Dimitri standing nearby with Alpha, who held Quang Bu.

"Where is Quin?" Galaxia asked.

"He is going to assist with the pyre," Caius said softly.

Galaxia nodded. She did not know how any of them would survive this night. Watching Raven burn was the last thing she had ever expected to have to do. Morgana wept harder in her arms, and she clung to her, trying to understand how this had happened. She could not wrap her mind around such a loss. She only hoped they would be able to continue somehow.

DIMITRI

He stood close to the pyre. Quintus stood on the other side, ready to light it when the time came. Harmony held little Horus in her arms as Raven's parents and brother wept. His brother could not have been a day older than thirteen. Dimitri hoped the boy had someone to look out for him now that his brother was gone.

He barely heard the words the villagers spoke. When the music began to play, he found it appropriate. Raven's entire life had been filled with music. His death should not be any different. As people began to lay things beside Raven's body so he might take them with him to the afterlife, Dimitri placed Raven's sword on the pyre. Others placed instruments of every kind and Dimitri tried to take comfort in the fact that Raven would have music wherever he ended up.

"It is time," Harmony whispered.

Quintus nodded. He extended his hand toward the pyre and closed his eyes. It began to burn. The fire spread quickly, and Dimitri suspected Quintus was speeding the process up for everyone's sake. He wished he could bring himself to look away, but he could not. He owed Raven the respect of watching until the flames fully consumed him and carried his spirit away.

He did not expect his grief to be so powerful, but as the last of the flames consumed his best friend, Dimitri fell to his knees and began to sob. He let out a cry of grief so powerful he was certain everyone would be ashamed of him. Instead, they came to his side. Zordon put a hand on his shoulder to try to comfort him. Morgana knelt beside him and pulled him into her arms. Soon, everyone was holding him, comforting him as much as they were comforting each other. The entire village joined them in their grief, and Dimitri was certain it would destroy him as it poured out of him.

Suddenly, the music shifted. It became hopeful, and upbeat, and eventually, the people of the village began to dance. Galaxia allowed one of the men to pull her into his arms and dance her around the pyre as the flames began to go out. Quintus was quickly on the arm of a pretty girl doing the same. Soon, all of them were on their feet, and everyone was dancing because that was how it should be. Dimitri knew it was what Raven would have wanted. He stood and pulled Morgana into his arms and began to dance with her, trying to take comfort in this ceremony of death which had turned into a celebration of life.

"There is nothing more Raven than this," he whispered.

"I think he is smiling at us," Morgana agreed.

They danced in silence and Dimitri lost himself in the music. I love you, my brother, he thought as a final tear slid down his cheek. Eventually, he felt a familiar sensation. Raven's light filled his heart and he knew that, alive or not, Raven was still with them.


	9. Chapter Nine

SIX WEEKS LATER.

MORGANA

Their time in Raven's village had been complicated. Quintus and Galaxia had ventured to the city for supplies and learned that they were wanted criminals. Zell had spread the word that they were dangerous traitors bent on destroying the universe. He had even told the world they had kidnapped Zordon and forced him to join their side, brainwashing his own son into becoming a traitor. After that, the Chosen could not risk leaving the village. The demand to deliver their heads was strong. Every good person outside of that village believed that they were guilty of high treason. Nowhere was safe.

It was because of this that they settled into a routine in the village. They continued to train in battle. Dimitri trained directly with the warriors of Raven's village and taught the others what he learned. Galaxia and Morgana trained with their strongest magicians, working spells and improving their healing techniques as well. Galaxia helped care for the animals while Morgana focused on the children. It restored something in her heart to be with them. She had lost her own daughter, but now an entire village had come to view her as a mother figure. I will find her, she vowed. Unfortunately, until they stopped Zell, there was not much she could do for Rita.

Quintus had thrown himself into keeping everyone's spirits up. With Raven gone, they desperately needed it. He may not have Raven's light, but his gift for playing light-hearted pranks helped. Even Dimitri could not always remain serious when Quintus started playing pranks on him.

Bless him, Morgana though. What truly made Quintus himself was his ability to laugh when others would weep or scream. Nothing ever kept him down for long, a trait he had shared with Raven.

Morgana watched Caius working with some of the children. He had taken it upon himself to teach them to read and write English. Caius was a wonderful storyteller, and the children adored listening to tales of his scholarly adventures. He'd traveled the world for much of his childhood before going off on his own to study with the Mystics. He told stories of their customs and their great magic, and the children were enchanted by it all. Morgana knew Caius was still heartbroken over losing Rose, but she suspected bringing her back to life in these stories provided him with some small comfort.

Zordon did not say much to them. He had taken Raven's death especially hard. He threw himself into manual labor, taking care of whatever needed to be done in the village. He worked especially hard to prove himself to the villagers, determined to make them understand that although he was the son of a traitor, he was nothing like him. Meanwhile, everyone else in the galaxy believed Zordon had betrayed his father and was on the side of evil.

"Zordon?" Morgana called gently as he chopped firewood for the village.

He looked up at her, his eyes lost. "Yes?" He asked.

"What is on your mind?"

"Chopping wood."

"Beyond that?"

"I find it is best to focus on one thing at a time, Morgana."

"Zordon... We are worried about you."

"Do not be."

"I know this has been difficult for you."

"I am well, Morgana. Let this drop."

"You look out for us all, Zordon. Can we not return the favor?"

He stood and said, "That is not necessary." He gathered the wood and began to walk away.

Suddenly, Morgana felt the world shift. She barely managed to whisper, "Zordon..." Before she collapsed.

She awoke shortly after, wrapped in Zordon's arms. "I... What happened?" Morgana asked.

"You collapsed. Had I not the reflexes I do, you would have hit the ground," Zordon said. He gently placed her down as they reached her room.

"What has happened?" Galaxia asked. She rushed to her side.

"She fainted," Zordon said.

Galaxia focused her energy for a moment, searching for the cause. Suddenly, her face became unreadable. "Zordon, will you excuse us?" She asked.

"Certainly," Zordon said. He left the room.

"What is it, Xia?" Morgana asked. "Am I ill?"

"Not in the traditional sense," Galaxia replied. "Morgana... You and I are as close as sisters. If I ask you something highly personal, will you answer honestly?"

"Of course."

"Have you and Dimitri taken things to a more intimate level?"

Morgana blushed. She recalled the night of Raven's funeral. Her grief had been strong. Dimitri's had been unbearable. When they were alone, Morgana had decided to allow things to progress between them. She was terrified of what Master Vile had done to her, but she was not afraid of Dimitri. She trusted him completely. It had been an entirely different experience to be with Dimitri so intimately.

"Yes," she replied softly. "Why?"

"Morgana... You are with child."

Morgana stared at her. "It is impossible..." She whispered.

"I assure you, it does not take much."

"I... I am having another baby?" Morgana asked.

"You are... And with a man you love this time."

"Xia... I cannot... What if something happens? What if I lose him, too?" She knew in her heart it was a boy.

"Dimitri would never take him from you."

"But so much can happen... We are at war... And Dimitri lost his entire family. He is not ready for a new one... He will despise me-"

"Morgana, hush..." Galaxia wrapped her in a hug. "This baby is a blessing... A sign that life goes on even when we lose hope." She took Morgana's hand and put it to her stomach. "You will not lose him, Morgana. We will not allow it. He will be loved, and protected, and no harm shall ever come to him even if I must put nine hundred protection spells on him myself. Do not be afraid... You love children. You are meant to be a mother."

More than anything, Morgana wanted to hold a child of her own. That did not take away her fear. She knew far too well how quickly everything could be lost.

"I nearly died having Rita," she whispered.

"You did not have me, Morgana," Galaxia said. She looked into her eyes as she added, "I am a trained midwife. I delivered two of my cousins. I can heal you if anything goes wrong. Please do not be afraid, my sister. I promise I will protect you."

"Did your cousins survive?"

"Being born? Yes, but my aunt slaughtered them because she needed sacrifices... Sorry, I know that is not helpful. I put my aunt down for that, actually. The first time, I accepted it because I had to, but when she did it again, I put an end to her."

"How could any mother do that?"

"My family was evil, Morgana. Even my cousins were starting to show an aptitude for darkness... I alone was born good. And evil... Evil cannot love." She looked away from her.

"Xia..." Morgana whispered. She gently touched her arm. "He loved you, Xia... And somewhere inside of him, he always will."

"We are talking about you now," Galaxia said stubbornly. "How will you tell Dimitri?"

"I do not know... I am terrified."

"He needs to know, Morgana. He loves you. Dimitri is honorable. He will stand by your side."

Morgana nodded. "I shall tell him tonight," she promised. She wished she had some idea how to do that.

DIMITRI

He found Morgana sitting beneath the stars. She looked especially lovely that night. She smiled at him shyly. "Dimitri... I must tell you some news," she said.

"Of course," he said. Had she heard something of Zell? Was trouble coming? He braced himself for the worst.

"I..." She sighed and looked into his eyes before whispering, "I am with child."

Dimitri stared at her for a moment. "You are certain?" He asked.

"Xia is. She is rarely wrong."

"That is proof enough..." He pulled her closer to him and kissed her. "My love... I shall protect you and this child with my life."

"You are not angry?"

"Angry? Of course not." He was terrified and excited all at once. A baby was always a reason to celebrate, even if he was afraid of where this path would lead. "I love you, Morgana... And if the Gods have seen fit to bless that love with a child, then I shall love that child, too."

"Dimitri... I am terrified," she admitted.

"Then I shall be brave enough for both of us," he vowed. He kissed her again before kneeling in front of her. "Marry me, my beloved... So our love and our family may be sanctioned by the Gods."

Morgana looked at him with tears in her eyes. "You would marry me? So soon?"

"I have learned how short life can be. I love you. Why wait?"

"I am damaged... Unfit to be a wife."

"Nonsense. I want no other as my wife, Morgana. That much, I have known since the first day my lips met yours." He paused. "Will you do me this honor?"

Morgana seemed to forget how to speak. She nodded and Dimitri kissed her again. He thought he no longer believed in marriage after his father's actions, but now, all he wanted was for Morgana to be his wife.

ZEDD

He was scanning the universe for signs of interesting activity when he came across a message Zell had left. It had apparently been played to various forces of good and had slowly spread across many realms and dimensions.

"Friends of Good, I must deliver news which is most disheartening," Zell began. "My team of Chosen heroes has turned. It seems evil has taken control of them all. They are extremely dangerous. Please be cautious if you see any of the following people... Dimitri Scott, a powerful and deadly warrior, Morgana Fairhaven, an extremely powerful witch, Galaxia Campbell, the infamous sorceress, Caius Grant, a brilliant and devious scholar, and Quintus Kwan, who wields the power of fire. They are all extremely dangerous, and I regret to add that they have convinced my own son, Zordon, to join their ranks... My boy has betrayed me. He is not to be trusted." Zell feigned grief at his words, but Zedd saw through that easily. "No matter what lies they tell you, know only this... They have committed the highest treason of the realms, and they must be brought to justice."

Zedd rolled his eyes. Then, he paused. "Wait... What about Raven?" He asked.

"Lord Zedd," his minion Pling said. "They say the other Chosen has fallen. A building came down upon him and crushed him under its weight rather mysteriously."

Zedd stared at him. "What?!" He demanded.

"It is true."

Zedd felt fury consuming him. Raven was dead. Raven, who had been the only one to soothe him when it seemed impossible. Raven, who never did anything without a smile on his face. Raven, his former friend, who he had spared when he could have killed him... And for what? So he could die at what had surely been Zell's hands instead?

Furious, Zedd began attacking the objects in the room. He blew them apart. Glass shattered with a satisfying sound. Shards flew everywhere. He blew up every single thing in his path, destroying the entire room. One object after another was destroyed, and it still wasn't enough.

Finally, gasping for breath, Zedd pointed his staff at Pling. The minion trembled, clearly thinking he was the next thing Zedd was going to blow up. Instead, Zedd growled out, "Clean up this mess!" Then he left the room and refused to look back.

TWO WEEKS LATER.

MORGANA

She was incredibly nervous. She and Dimitri had agreed it was best to marry quickly. They had no idea how much time they would have left on this Earth and they refused to waste any more of it apart. They'd agreed a simple ceremony in the tradition of Raven's village would be fitting, and she stood now inside of a circle made up of the village and their dear friends. Dimitri was by her side looking stunning. She could not believe this was what her life had become.

"Dimitri Scott. Morgana Fairhaven. We have come together to unite you beneath the stars, before the Gods," the priestess said. "As your souls unite, do you vow to take this journey together, loving freely and fully?"

"I do so vow," Morgana replied.

"I do so vow," Dimitri echoed.

"May the Gods bless this union of souls as we celebrate your love together," the priestess said. Then, she tied their hands together, binding them to one another for eternity.

Music began to play. The circle around them became a dance, and Morgana found herself laughing as she was caught up in the joy of the villagers. Dimitri kissed her in front of everyone and cheers broke out.

When their hands were finally unbound, they continued to remain close together. Morgana could hardly believe Dimitri was now her husband. In the midst of all of this chaos and pain, they had somehow found each other. She looked into his eyes and whispered, "I love you."

"And I you, my Morgana," Dimitri said. He kissed her again, then began dancing around with her still pressed against his body. Morgana had not seen him look this happy or carefree in the entire time she had known him.

All is never lost, she heard Raven's voice whisper in her head. It could have been a memory, or perhaps he was actually there, watching them and celebrating with everyone else. Either way, it was comforting. You need only look within to find your own light.

Thank you, Raven, she thought. For all you have done for us, and for lending me your strength when I thought I had none.

The dancing continued, and Morgana's own spirits lifted high as well. She could not remember ever having been this happy. For once, things were going right. Even if we only have tonight, no one shall ever take this from us, she thought. For this one night, they had no cares in the world.

THREE MONTHS LATER.

GALAXIA

She could tell from the look on his face that Caius had bad news to deliver. "What is it?" Galaxia asked.

"I had a vision," Caius began.

"What did you see, Caius?"

"Our final battle is coming, Xia... Quickly."

"How quickly?"

"Within the month, I believe. Perhaps much sooner."

"We are not ready," she said in horror. "Morgana is still pregnant. She is just starting to show."

"She is not safe. The baby is not safe. We have to deliver him."

"Caius, she is barely-"

"I know she is not far enough along, Xia... We must use magic. We must progress the pregnancy, or we will lose them both."

"That is not simple magic... It is quite advanced."

"But you can do it, yes?"

"Of course I can... But I do not wish to do that to her. Morgana is terrified enough. To force an early labor..."

"She will be frightened, of course... But we will be by her side. All of us. She will be safe. That baby will be safe... But only if we do this before Zell finds us."

"Is he coming here? To the village?"

"I fear that, if we stay here, he will."

Galaxia sighed. "We knew it could not last... We must leave. We cannot endanger Raven's people. They have been good to us. We owe them more than that."

"I agree."

"Bring Morgana to me. Bring all of the others, actually. I will help her."

Caius nodded and left to retrieve everyone. Galaxia set up a space she could use to deliver the child. When the others arrived, Morgana looked at her nervously. "What is all this?" She asked.

"Morgana... For safety, we must progress the pregnancy. Zell is coming. He will not wait. Your son must be born before then," Galaxia said.

Morgana began to shake, but she nodded. "I knew this might happen," she admitted, "but I had hoped..."

"I know. We all did... But I must protect you and your son."

Morgana obediently got onto the bed and allowed Galaxia to prepare her. The men kindly looked away. "Shall we wait outside?" Quintus asked.

"No," Morgana said softly. "You are my family... I need you here. I had no one when Rita was born... Not a soul... I need to know I am not alone. Please... Stay."

"Always," Dimitri promised.

"Of course we will," Zordon said. He paused. "Can I assist you in any way, Xia?" He asked.

"Do you know anything of this sort of magic?" Galaxia asked.

"I know it takes much energy. I could lend you some."

"That is helpful, yes... And what about delivering a baby?"

"I am afraid that is outside of my experience, although I do know basic medical treatment to help afterward."

"I can help," Caius said. He hesitated when everyone turned to him in surprise. "I was there for several births among the Mystics... I know how to deliver a child safely."

Galaxia looked at Morgana. "Are you ready?" She asked.

"No," Morgana said, but she took a deep breath. "I shall do it anyway."

Galaxia nodded. She began the spell to progress the pregnancy. Dimitri held Morgana's hand as she went into labor. She squeezed it in terror. "I can't..." She whispered. "I cannot do this again... Please... I cannot..."

"Morgana... Breathe," Caius said urgently.

"I nearly died the last time," she sobbed. "Please... Please, I cannot..."

"You can," Zordon said firmly. "You are so much stronger now, Morgana. You survived so much... You are one of the strongest people I know. You may not believe in yourself, but I believe in you."

"We all do," Quintus said. "You can do this, Morgana."

"We are all right here," Dimitri promised her. "You are not alone, my love... We are by your side."

"You are doing well, Morgana," Galaxia told her. "Go on... Push now. He's ready, Morgana. Push."

Morgana did, with a final scream of pain. Galaxia pulled the child out and wrapped him in a blanket. "Care to cut the cord, Dimitri?" She asked.

He looked nervous as he did the honors. Galaxia fully wrapped the baby and handed him to Morgana. She looked into her son's eyes and wept as she whispered, "He's beautiful..." Then, she began trembling, and Galaxia realized she was having some sort of seizure.

"Morgana!" Dimitri cried in alarm.

Galaxia quickly took the baby from Morgana's arms and handed him to Caius. "Take care of him," she said.

"What about Morgana?" Caius asked.

"I will see what I can do," Zordon promised.

"Quin, get Dimitri out of here," Galaxia instructed.

"I will not leave her!" Dimitri said firmly.

"It is a hex," Zordon said after a moment. "Perhaps Master Vile put a spell on her so she would not survive bearing another man's child. I sense the magic. It is powerful... However, I believe we can break it..."

Galaxia did not have to be told twice. She set to work on searching for a weakness in the spell while Zordon held Morgana steady. Dimitri refused to let go of her hand, whispering her name over and over, begging her not to leave him.

Finally, Galaxia felt the spell weaken. She looked at Morgana as she finally stopped seizing. "Morgana... Say something," she begged her.

Morgana blinked up at her. "Where is he?" She managed to ask. She was crying and looked like she might panic again, and Galaxia knew she was terrified of being told that yet another of her children had died right after birth.

"Caius!" Galaxia called. "Bring the boy!"

Caius returned with the child. He slipped him into Morgana's arms and she openly wept, cradling the boy in her arms. "He's alive..." She whispered. "Is he healthy?"

"Quite healthy," Caius confirmed. "He is a strong boy."

"What shall we call him?" Dimitri asked her as he kissed her head and stroked their son's.

"I wondered if you had a preference," Morgana replied.

"My brothers were Matteus and Nikolas... I thought of naming him for them, but it does not feel quite right... I do not wish to condemn him to that legacy. He needs a strong name, but not the name of his uncles..."

"I believe he has come into our lives to bring us hope... To heal what has been broken in us both, and to give us the family we were denied," Morgana said shyly. "What do you think of Jason? It is a strong name, and it is associated with healing..."

"It is a wonderful name, my beloved... Jason he shall be."

"And for a middle name... Raven."

Dimitri looked like he might cry as he nodded. "Yes. Yes, Jason Raven. There is no stronger name." He continued to stroke his son's head as Morgana cradled Jason in her arms. Galaxia wiped away her own tears as she watched them. It was a relief to see them happy, and to know she had not failed to keep her word to Morgana.

I shall protect him with every spell I know, she vowed. One way or another, Jason Raven Scott would be safe.

THREE WEEKS LATER.

CAIUS

He could feel the truth on the wind. Zell had found them. It was time for them to leave the village which had become their home. "We cannot thank you enough for your kindness," Dimitri told the villagers as they prepared to leave.

"Good luck, my friends," Harmony said. "May Raven and his light be ever with you."

"And with you," Dimitri replied with a bow. He kissed her cheek and gave baby Horus a final hug before he turned to the others. "Alright, Xia. We are ready."

Galaxia opened a portal. They were unsure of where they were going, but they had to follow their instinct now. Dimitri led the way. Morgana followed, carrying Jason, and Quintus carried Quang Bu. Alpha stayed with them, ready to defend the babies as needed. Caius carried several books and many of their other belongings. Zordon carried the rest. Finally, Galaxia came through with Winifred.

They found themselves in a strange town they had not seen before. "Where are we?" Quintus asked.

"We are in a town which will one day become very important," Caius said. "They shall call it Angel Grove, but at present, it is called by another name." He paused. "There is great power here, and it is here we are meant to battle. I have seen this place."

They quickly found a place to seek shelter. Caius knew there was precious little time to make preparations. He had seen about a dozen different outcomes to their battle and none of them were good. He feared they would not survive.

He had to wipe a tear from his eye at the thought that even if everyone else died, he would remain. He could not allow that to be the destiny they wound up following. "What troubles you, Caius?" Dimitri asked.

The others stared at him, clearly concerned. Caius sighed. It was time to tell someone other than Zordon. "No matter what happens in our battle, I shall remain," Caius began.

"Of course. We will not let him harm you," Galaxia said, assuming Caius was afraid.

"No... It is not that, Xia..." He shook his head. "I am cursed. Zell has forced immortality upon me. I kept it to myself because we all have far worse things to concern ourselves with, but... I cannot stand the idea that I may be the only one to survive... So please... Please do not let that come to pass."

"Oh, Caius..." Quintus said sympathetically. "How terribly unfair of him!"

"Unfair? He's a bloody bastard for that!" Galaxia cried. She wrapped her arms around Caius and said, "Worry not, my friend. I am not going anywhere."

"We shall fight with all we have," Dimitri vowed.

"We are ready," Quintus said. "We know what we are fighting for now... This is about more than us. This is about saving the entire universe! It is about saving all of the universes! For our children... For our children's children... And so on and so forth... No matter what."

"We are ready," Dimitri agreed. "No matter what comes, we shall face it with courage and honor."

"We have each other," Morgana said. "That is all we need."

"Precisely!" Galaxia cried. "So fear not, Caius. We are going to win this battle, for there is simply no other option."

"Zordon? Do you agree?" Caius asked.

Zordon took a deep breath. "I do not know the outcome of this battle," he said cautiously. "I know only that I shall stand by your sides, and I shall be honored to do so." He bowed to them. "Never have I met a braver group of warriors in any of the lands."

They all felt the energy of the town shift as Zell arrived. "Alpha... Take the children," Quintus said quickly. He kissed his son. "I love you, Q.B... Always. Be strong, my boy. All shall be well." He forced himself to hand his son over.

"I shall protect them," Alpha promised. "With all that I have."

"I know," Quintus said. He closed his eyes and turned away from his son, forcing himself not to look back. Caius took his hand to give him strength.

Morgana clung to her son for a moment. "My Jason Raven... My heart. I will come back home to you," she promised him. "We both shall."

Dimitri kissed their son before saying, "Morgana... It is time."

She nodded. "I know." She handed their son to Alpha and followed Dimitri outside.

They hurried away from the shelter, hoping to keep the babies safe and not give away their location. Technically, Zell only know about Quang Bu, but there was no telling what the evil wizard truly knew.

QUINTUS

They split up because they had to. No one was certain where Zell was, but his attacks were coming from everywhere. Magic flew at them so quickly, they were barely able to dodge it. Galaxia stayed with Quintus while Morgana and Dimitri ended up on the other end of the rather large field. Caius and Zordon ended up together somewhere in the middle.

"He's close," Galaxia said. "I can feel him."

"Xia, watch out!" Quintus cried as a ball of fire soared straight at her head. He jumped in front of her, absorbing the fire easily and shaking it off.

"Thanks," Galaxia said.

"Anytime," Quintus replied with a smile. Suddenly, the earth opened up between them. Galaxia jumped back automatically, but Quintus felt himself falling into the hole.

"Quin!" She screamed. "Quin, hang on!" She tried to reach down to him, but her hand was just out of his reach. "Take my hand!"

"I cannot reach it!"

Galaxia looked frantic. She closed her eyes and began pulling Quintus up with her mind. He was finally able to reach her hand and she lifted him to safety. "And now I owe you the thanks," he said.

"What are friends for?" She replied with a smile.

A scream demanded their attention. "Morgana!" Dimitri cried as Morgana barely dodged several spells which tried to attack her in quick succession.

"Go help her," Quintus said. "You are the strongest with magic."

"What about you?" Galaxia asked.

"Morgana needs you. It is alright."

She nodded and raced to help Morgana and Dimitri as he, too, fell under attack. Caius joined them as well, trying to do what he could to take care of their injuries.

Quintus ran toward the middle of the field. Zell had grabbed Zordon by his throat. "Release him!" Quintus shouted.

"Quin, go! He'll harm you," Zordon croaked out. Zell's grip tightened.

Quintus reacted on impulse. He sent a fireball straight at Zell. Zell let out a cry of pain as it singed him. "Fool!" He screamed. He tossed Zordon into a tree and came straight for Quintus.

"I have been called worse before," Quintus said. He stared Zell down, refusing to give in to fear. At first, he held his own well in the battle. Whatever Zell sent at him, he deflected with fire or with his sword. Finally, however, Zell manifested a sword of his own. He proved to be slightly more skilled than Quintus.

"I shall send your regards to your son," Zell said before shoving his sword straight through Quintus's heart.

He lay on the ground, helpless. No one was aware he had been harmed except Zordon, who was too hurt and too stunned to do more than shout his name. Zell laughed as he walked away, heading straight for the energy tube he had brought with him so he could recharge as much as he needed to during the battle.

"Quin..." Zordon gasped as he reached him. "Quin, I'm so sorry..."

Quintus looked at him. He wanted to say something, but he could not get words out around the blood flowing from his mouth. With one final breath, he died in Zordon's arms.

CAIUS

He was startled to see Quintus standing before him. "Quin?" He asked. "Where did you come from?"

"Caius, you have to protect him now," Quintus said quickly.

"What?"

"My son. You have to protect my son. Please. You are the only one I trust with that responsibility, for you can never die... You are the perfect guardian. Please, Caius. Please take care of my boy."

Caius gasped as Quintus appeared as he must truly be, with a sword through his heart and blood everywhere. "No... No, Quin... Not you. Please..."

"Caius... Promise me? I have to know my boy is safe... I have to, or I cannot leave... Please..."

Caius began to weep, but nodded. "I shall protect him with all that I have," he vowed.

Quintus nodded. "Thank you. Tell the others I am sorry... And do me one other favor and kill the bastard, alright?" With that, he vanished.

"Caius? Caius, what is it? Why do you weep?" Galaxia asked in alarm.

"Quin..." He whispered. "I saw Quin."

Morgana's hands covered her mouth in horror. Dimitri slammed his blade into the earth in fury. Galaxia paled. "I left him..." She whispered.

"You had to," Caius said. "Morgana and Dimitri needed you."

"But... But I left him, Caius... I left him and... And now his son..."

"He made me promise to protect him."

She nodded. Dimitri sighed. "We must continue," he said. "This battle is not yet over."

"Isn't it?" Morgana asked. "We have lost Quin! We have lost Raven! How long until all of us perish?"

"Morgana... You must focus," Dimitri said gently.

"She is barely three weeks post birth, Dimitri," Galaxia said. "Her emotions are still heightened."

"You must use that, Morgana," Caius said. "You must find your strength... For your son... For us... For Quin."

She nodded, still in tears. "We must continue to fight," she agreed.

"Ah, I am so pleased to hear that," Zell said, suddenly appearing before them in his energy tube. "I shall enjoy it so much more if you try to fight."

He raised so much energy, Caius knew they would all perish. This was the end. The others would die together, and he would be left to protect the children.

As Zell began releasing the spells, the remaining Chosen fought with all that they possessed. It was not enough. They were broken, bleeding, and simply not strong enough with only four of them left. Dimitri wrapped his arms protectively around the others as they faced what would certainly be their collective demise.

ZORDON

He had held on to Quintus for several minutes as he tried to make sense of what had happened. The boy had died to save his life. Now, his son was an orphan, and there was nothing Zordon could do to change that.

He wanted to give up. The Chosen were not strong enough to stop his father. They had been delusional to think they could survive this night. He turned and saw that the four who remained were cowering together. They were all severely wounded, and they had run out of defenses. They were helpless. They were going to die.

No, he thought. Once more, the single word gave him power, and Zordon released Quintus and picked up his fallen friend's sword. He ran straight at his father's energy tube and without stopping to think, he did the only thing he could... He shattered it with the flaming sword.

Morgana, Dimitri, Galaxia, and Caius were knocked back by the blast. His father let out a scream of agony. Suddenly, Zordon was screaming, too, as so much power flowed through him, he could not stand it. His entire body felt like it was on fire. Zordon struggled to catch his breath.

Breathe through this, a woman whispered.

Mother? He asked.

Yes, my beautiful boy... Breathe through this. The power will not harm you. Embrace what you are meant to be, Zordon.

It corrupted my father...

It shall not corrupt you. You are pure of heart. Do not fear it, Zordon. I love you. I am with you.

Zordon took several deep breaths. Finally, he calmed down enough to face his father. His father stared at him in shock. "That tube does not give me life. You have done nothing!" He declared.

"I have prevented you from using any more of its energy," Zordon said. He didn't add that he'd absorbed a good deal of that power himself. He had never felt so strong before in his life.

"I shall remind you where it is you come from, my boy," his father said.

"I come from my mother," Zordon said harshly. "The woman you killed."

His father laughed. "So you've finally figured that out, have you?"

Zordon stared at him. "Why?" He demanded. "Why did you kill her?"

"She knew what I was, Zordon. She caught on to me before anyone... She was too smart for her own good. I had to get her out of the way. Pity. She was so beautiful. I truly adored her. It was not fun for me, you know... I never wanted to kill her." He laughed again. "Oh, who am I fooling? It was glorious! She put up such a fight... I loved every minute of ending her life while you were forced to watch, helpless... That is why you will always be weak, Zordon. I broke you."

Zordon suddenly felt rage threatening to consume him. He wanted to lash out, but he knew he had to do this the right way or he would fail. He turned to his father and said, "I am not broken, Father. Not anymore. But now you are!" Then he took all of the power that was flowing through him and turned it on his father.

His father cried out in pain and struggled to break free from the energy. Instead, it consumed him, burning away the last of his power. It flowed out of him and came straight toward Zordon. As his father lay on the ground, broken and weak, he grabbed the sword Zordon had taken from Quintus. He drained it of energy and used that to stand, then ran straight at Zordon. Before he even knew what he was doing, Zordon used his power to summon the sword and ran it straight through his father's chest.

Unlike Quintus, who had bled out slowly, his father burst into flames. Zordon watched in horror as his father screamed and burned, but the fire went out as soon as he was dead, leaving a charred corpse behind.

The others raced back toward him just as Zordon fell to his knees. He stared at his father's corpse and was overwhelmed with too many conflicting emotions to make sense of any of them. He began rocking, trying to catch his breath, but suddenly, the rest of his father's power slammed into him.

Zordon screamed in agony. It was too much power. He was not strong enough to survive possessing it. "The energy tube! He needs it to filter the power," Caius said.

"He destroyed it!" Morgana pointed out.

"Morgana, help me. We can use magic. We can rebuild it," Galaxia said.

Morgana nodded and they set to work. Dimitri pulled Zordon into his arms. "Stay with us, Zordon," he said urgently. "You have saved us all. Do not leave us now."

It seemed like an eternity before the tube was reformed, but it was probably a very quick process. Finally, Dimitri and Caius placed Zordon inside. Slowly, the energy began to filter out of him and back into the tube. Zordon could breathe again. He closed his eyes and let the tube work its magic until he finally felt more like himself. When they released him, he stumbled out of the tube.

"You saved us," Dimitri said again. "It is over, Zordon. It is finally over."

Zordon stared at his father's remains and knew that, although killing him had been the most difficult thing he had ever had to do, it had been the right thing. He allowed the remaining Chosen to embrace him. Using a spell, Galaxia and Morgana sealed his father's remains in a tomb and buried it far beneath the ground of what would one day become Angel Grove. Then, Dimitri, Caius, and Zordon carried Quintus back to their shelter.

Alpha came outside looking relieved until he saw Quintus. "Oh no... Quin..." He whispered.

"We will honor him tonight," Zordon said. "In fire. It is as he would want it to be."

"What if he will not burn?" Dimitri asked.

"Now that he has left this life, his body is but a shell," Galaxia said sadly. "It shall burn."

They held the ceremony that night. Zordon watched numbly as they said goodbye to yet another friend. Caius held Quang Bu for dear life. "I shall tell you a thousand tales of your wonderful father," he vowed. "Quin shall not be forgotten."

"What do we do now?" Dimitri asked. "It is over."

"That is tomorrow's problem," Galaxia said. They all seemed to agree on this point.

Eventually, the others gave in to their exhaustion and drifted off to sleep, but Zordon suspected he would not sleep for a long time. Caius woke and found him sitting beneath the stars, watching the fire they had set outside of their shelter.

"I murdered my father today," Zordon whispered.

"You saved our lives today," Caius said. "You saved the entire universe from him."

Zordon nodded. Finally, he allowed himself to cry on his friend's shoulder, but he no longer felt weak. Whatever else came to pass, he had defeated his father. The remaining Chosen were safe, the universe was no longer under the threat of his father's wrath, and for the first time in his life, Zordon was finally free.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: There's only one chapter left. Thanks for reading so far!


	10. Chapter Ten: Epilogue

CAIUS

It had been a year to the day since they defeated Zell. He had not returned. Galaxia, Dimitri, Morgana, Caius, and Zordon had returned with Alpha, Winifred, Quang Bu, and Jason to the farm. They had restored the property to what it had once been and Galaxia had cast a preservation spell on it. Even if they were no longer there, the farm would prosper, maintaining life and giving any descendant of the Chosen a sanctuary in their hour of need. The animals would be cared for by her magic, as would the land.

It had taken little effort to convince the universe of their innocence. They stood together, broken but victorious, and told everyone the truth. Raven's entire village stood by them, verifying their tale. Between that and the fact that they agreed to undergo truth spells to test their honesty, the rest of the universe accepted that Zell had, in fact, been an especially deceptive force of evil.

Caius found Zordon sitting in the basement, staring at the energy tube. It had remained empty since right after they had used it to save him. Zordon refused to use the power, leaving it inside of the tube and staying far away from it.

"Zordon... Are you well?" Caius asked.

Zordon sighed. "Today is a difficult reminder, Caius," he admitted. "I half expect him to show up in there any moment and tell me it was all a charade."

"He is not coming back, Zordon. Your father is dead."

"I know. I killed him."

"Yes, you did... I know how difficult that still is for you, Zordon. Are you having trouble again?" Caius was fully aware that Zordon hardly slept sometimes because his nightmares were so severe. He often wished Raven was still with them to provide their friend with some comfort on those nights when his mind would not turn off.

"My mind has tormented me a bit, yes... But not as much as it did before. I suppose I am learning to move past it slowly."

"I believe that is a skill we all still struggle to master."

When Dimitri and Morgana stepped outside, Caius knew what was coming. "Caius... Zordon... It is time," Dimitri said.

"You are leaving us," Caius said flatly.

"We are. We have waited long enough. We must find my daughter," Morgana said. "Whatever it takes."

"You have our support, Morgana," Zordon said. "What do you need?"

Morgana looked at them and said, "I found this... Last week, while I was searching for a clue." She held up a baby blanket and began to cry. Caius sighed. Finally, that vision had come to light as well. "I must find her. There is no more time to waste."

"We cannot bring Jason. It is too dangerous a journey," Dimitri said. "Caius, I know this is too much to ask of you, but... Will you watch over our son while we are away?"

"Of course," Caius replied. "I would not dream of separating him from Quang Bu. They are as close as brothers."

"Caius..." Morgana sighed. "If anything happens to us-"

"Hush with that talk!" Galaxia said from the doorway. "Do not leave here expecting not to return."

"I am realistic, Xia," Morgana said gently. "I must think of Jason now." She looked at Caius again. "Please, Caius... If we do not return, protect our son."

"Always, Morgana... But Xia is right. If you leave expecting not to return, that is what will occur," Caius said.

"We will do our best to return," she promised, "but I cannot leave this to chance. Jason needs a guardian should anything occur. You, Xia, and Zordon are the only ones we trust with our son."

"And we shall love him and guard him always," Galaxia promised, "but you will return, Morgana. We have lost enough. We shall not lose you both as well."

Morgana hugged her. "My sister..." She whispered. "You have given me more than you shall ever know, Xia. I love you."

"I love you as well. Stop saying goodbye. It is only a brief farewell, until next time."

"Until we meet again," Dimitri said indulgently. He kissed Galaxia's hand. She pulled him into a hug.

"Bring Rita back to us," Galaxia said. "I will find a way to restore her light."

Zordon looked devastated as she said this. Caius hoped they would succeed, but in every vision of the future he had seen, Rita remained evil. He feared it would be a very long time before Rita was saved, and it would not be in the way they expected.

Only a mother's love can save her, he remembered. The problem was, he was fairly certain that love would not come from Morgana.

As night fell, Morgana tucked Jason into bed with Dimitri by her side. Together, they said their goodbyes. Morgana was crying. "Remember your promise, Caius," she said urgently.

"I shall," he vowed.

"Be safe, my friends," Galaxia said as she hugged them both.

"Be strong," Zordon added. "I know you can do what you must." He also hugged them.

Finally, Caius said goodbye to his friends with his own hugs. He prayed this would not be the last time he was able to do that, but he knew how dangerous this journey would be. He wished he had seen the outcome, but his visions did not always work like that. For now, he was as ignorant of the future as any of the others.

SIX DAYS LATER.

DIMITRI

The journey was a long one. He had hoped it would be easier to track Master Vile and Rita down, but they were very well-hidden in another realm, and without Galaxia's power to travel by portal, Dimitri was uncertain how to reach them.

Morgana nearly collapsed. He steadied her. "My love... You are exhausted. You must rest," he said.

"Just a bit more," Morgana protested.

"No, my Morgana... You need your strength. We both do." He searched for a safe place to set up camp. He found one fairly quickly and set to work.

She fell asleep in his arms. Dimitri stared at her face, still amazed after all this time by her beauty. He smiled as he watched her sleep, feeling peaceful for the first time in days. Finally, he drifted off as well.

When they woke, it was morning. Something did not feel right. Dimitri cautiously walked toward the sound of a girl crying. When she spotted him, she glared at him. "Who are you? What are you staring at?"

Dimitri immediately recognized her. This girl had attacked him the day Raven died. This was Rita. What are the chances? He wondered. "I will not harm you, Rita," he said gently.

"Liar!" She screamed.

Dimitri realized her dress was torn. Her hair was unkempt and her eyes were wild. "What has happened to you, Rita?" He asked gently.

"You should know! You are probably his accomplice! I shall show you the fate he met!" She motioned toward an unmoving form several feet away. The body was impaled upon what Dimitri assumed was his own sword.

"Who was he, Rita? What did he do to you?"

"He was one of my father's guards. He tried to have his way with me..." She no longer sounded angry or dangerous, but instead sounded like a terrified little girl as she whispered, "He would not release me, and when I tried to escape, my dress tore, and then he kissed me... He made me kiss him... Just like... Just like..." She began trembling violently.

"Rita-" Dimitri said gently. He tried to touch her arm to comfort her, but she pulled away violently.

"Do not touch me!" She cried. Dimitri pulled back, but it was too late. Rita's panic caused her powers to become uncontrollable. Dimitri flew through the air, hitting his head on a rock as he landed. Rita continued to panic. The earth shook. A storm came from nowhere. Lightning struck a tree and it crashed down on top of Dimitri.

He heard Morgana screaming his name and realized she must have found him. "Dimitri... My love..." She sobbed as she reached him. She moved the tree off of him using her own magic as rain poured down on them.

"Rita..." Dimitri whispered. "The girl is Rita."

Morgana stiffened. Then she said, "I must heal you."

He knew he was beyond that. Not only was his head injury bad, but his back had been cut by a smaller rock as he was crushed between the tree and the earth. He had lost too much blood. There would be no saving him this time. The fact that he could see Lucy looking at him sadly merely confirmed what he already knew. "Save your strength. Save your daughter."

"Dimitri..." Morgana whispered.

He used the last of his strength to touch her face, wiping away a tear with his thumb as the rain washed away the rest. "I love you," he told her.

"Do not leave me! I cannot do this alone."

"You can, my Morgana. You are strong." He looked into her eyes. "Stop this storm and save her. I believe in you." He felt his final breath pass his lips as he lost the ability to hold his hand up any longer.

MORGANA

She felt his hand drop and knew Dimitri was gone. Morgana let out a cry of grief as she clung to his body. Then, she did what she had to. She looked at the girl and knew Dimitri was right. This was her daughter.

Allowing her grief to burst from her in the form of magic, Morgana ended the storm. Rita collapsed onto her hands and knees sobbing. Morgana kissed Dimitri's lips a final time before releasing him. She stood and ran to her daughter. She hit a barrier before she could reach her, but she was closer than she had ever dreamed she could be.

"Rita..." She called gently.

"I didn't mean to..." Rita whispered in horror.

"I know. Let me in, Rita. I can help."

"You... You're the girl who saved me at the marketplace," Rita said.

Morgana looked into her eyes and said, "I am more than that, sweet girl..."

She would have said more, but suddenly, lightning burst from the earth and shot straight through her heart.

RITA

She screamed as she watched the girl who had saved her life fall to the ground dead. Had she done that to her? She couldn't seem to control her powers anymore. Medgar had tried to force himself upon her and she had been reminded of the day she had lost everything. Like Zell, he had forced her to kiss him, and for a moment, she was there again, in that basement, terrified and alone, betrayed by someone she'd been told to trust.

She stared at the carnage she had caused. Medgar had deserved his fate, and she did not regret impaling him upon his own sword. She had not meant to harm the boy her marketplace savior wept over, but her fear had taken over after he tried to touch her. Had she killed the girl as well?

"Rita, lower your barrier," her father said.

Suddenly, she knew the truth. "Father? You killed her?" She asked, not lowering any of her magic. She hadn't thrown it up intentionally, so she was uncertain she could lower it anyway, and she did not want even her father near her now. She no longer knew who to trust.

"Yes. I felt your fear and protected you."

"She was not the one I feared! Your guard tried to violate me!"

Her father looked horrified. "Where is Medgar?" He demanded.

Rita pointed and her father laughed. "You did well, my dear child," he said.

"I killed a boy. He was trying to help me, I think, but I was frightened..."

"He is one of Zell's Chosen... They are still our enemies, Rita. You did the right thing. This girl was as well. I had to kill her, Rita. She would have harmed you."

There seemed to be more he was not saying, but Rita could not guess what it might be. "She saved me once," Rita said sadly. She felt herself crying.

"Enough! We should celebrate this, not mourn their loss!"

"But she-"

"Do not speak of her again! Do you understand me?"

Rita nodded. Her heart ached. Watching this girl die had hurt her in a way Rita could not understand. She felt as if part of her had died, too. Suddenly, she began screaming and sobbing. Her father finally fled to escape the sound. Rita felt the storm return. Her powers ran wild, wreaking havoc, and she could do nothing more than allow it.

ZORDON

He and Galaxia were with Caius when he started staring at something they could not see. "They're gone," Caius whispered. "We have lost them."

Galaxia immediately began to cry. She wrapped her arms around Caius from behind. Zordon pulled them both into his. He knew they needed to retrieve their fallen friends, but first, they must calm down enough to do so safely.

"They are together," Caius whispered. "Dimitri went first... But he waited for her."

"Of course he did," Galaxia said sadly. "I shall open a portal... We must bring them home."

"Xia, it is too dangerous," Caius said. "Rita is there and she has a magical storm of chaos flowing through the area. She cannot control it."

"I can help," Zordon said.

Caius and Galaxia looked at him skeptically. "Zordon, I know facing Rita is difficult for you..." Caius said gently.

"I believe I can calm her enough for Xia and you to get Dimitri and Morgana out of there. Make sure you recover his sword. It is a family heirloom and Jason is meant to inherit it. I know it would be important to Dimitri."

"We shall not leave you there alone with her," Galaxia said.

"You must. I will return to you, Xia, but I must be alone to calm her."

"And if she hurts you?"

"Caius... Do I die today?"

"Not that I have seen, but the future can change, Zordon," Caius said.

"Please trust me. I know I can do this... I must try. I owe her that much."

Caius and Galaxia stopped protesting. Galaxia opened a portal and they crossed through into the most chaotic storm Zordon had ever seen. He could see Rita in the middle of it, screaming as power burst from her and destroyed whatever it could.

"Wait here. When it is safe, please recover our friends. I shall find my way home on my own," Zordon said. He walked straight toward Rita. Without hesitating, he called to her. "Rita! Rita, please, stop this!"

"Go away!" Rita screamed. "Leave me alone! Everyone just leave me alone!"

Zordon took a chance and stepped closer to her. He pulled some of the chaotic energy into himself, filtering it so it did less damage. Finally, he reached her. "Rita... I'm here," he said. "I am not going anywhere."

She was visibly crying. To his shock, she flung her arms around him and wept into his hair. "My blue boy..." She whispered.

Zordon held her, trying to comfort her. It was true her energy was different. It was darker and it wanted to destroy... But deep inside, beneath the rage, the girl he loved still lived.

"I did not mean to harm him..." Rita said through her tears. "I was frightened and I lost control."

"I believe you," Zordon promised her. "It's alright, Rita. You are safe now."

She looked into his eyes and did something that stunned him. Rita kissed him, but not like the day she had attacked him. This was not an act of hate, but one of love from a girl who desperately needed comfort. Images floated into his head and Zordon knew she was letting him in. He saw Rita as a small girl, the very one he and Galaxia had saved from drowning. He saw her as a teenager, kissing him and felt her joy and excitement. Then he saw her with his father, and he saw him attack her, forcibly kiss her, try to rape her... Zordon was filled with rage and grief at the same time. He felt his father shove Rita into the fire. He felt how much it had hurt and how it destroyed her. Then he saw a guard who forced a kiss as his father had. He felt her panic as she flashed back upon that. Then, she attacked the guard. Dimitri tried to touch her and she attacked him, too. Finally, Rita's heart shattered as Morgana died before her eyes at her father's hands.

Rita broke the kiss. She was still crying, but she was calmer. "Do you understand now?" She asked.

"I do," Zordon replied. "I am so sorry, Rita. I never thought he might harm you... I was a fool."

"You were a boy, Zordon. An innocent boy who loved his father... It was never your fault." She paused. "I feel myself losing more control every day, Zordon... I grow more evil with every breath. Please... When the time comes, if I am about to do something truly horrific, stop me. Swear to me you will stop me. Whatever it takes." Her fear was obvious. Rita was horrified by what she had become.

"I will save you, Rita," Zordon said.

"And if you cannot... Then stop me. Destroy me if you must. Please, Zordon... Please do not let me turn into my father." She was crying again.

"If I cannot save you, then yes. I will stop you." He knew he could never destroy her. He loved her far too much for that. He would have to find another way to stop her.

She sighed. "We can never be together... Not with what I am now... I am evil. I must destroy, and I must gain power... That is all I am now... But I will always love you, my funny blue boy." She kissed him again, then vanished before he could even say goodbye.

Zordon sank to his knees. "I love you," he whispered into the wind. Somehow, he knew she heard him.

SEVERAL DECADES LATER.

CAIUS

Time moved oddly for an immortal. He remained on the farm with Zordon, neither aging as normal humans would. Zordon aged very slowly and still looked about twenty. Caius appeared to be in his early thirties. He had stopped aging at that point. They maintained the farm together. Zordon traveled back to Eltar frequently, but he always returned to the farm eventually.

Galaxia had met a handsome young man six years after they lost Morgana and Dimitri. She'd tried not to, but she had ultimately fallen in love with him, and they'd moved away two years after that to get married and live a new life. She checked in on Caius frequently and visited at least twice a year, but it was not quite the same.

Caius had raised Quang Bu and Jason. He told them stories of their parents' adventures and courage. He taught them how to fight. He taught them to use swords and made sure they understood the importance of their father's swords. Dimitri's was a family heirloom with magic attached to it, and Quintus's sword had helped destroy Zell. There were no stronger weapons in this world than those two. He passed down a bracelet Quintus had always worn to his son. It was etched with flames, and it gave the boy both comfort and strength in difficult times. Caius had loved the boys as if they were his own. Both had gone on to marry and have children and grandchildren. It broke something in Caius when Quang Bu had died three years earlier, but the boy had lived a long life. Jason had followed him the next year, and Caius might have snapped if Zordon had not been home. Somehow, his old friend helped him through his grief.

Now he sat in his room, reading a book. A vision suddenly took control of his mind. Galaxia slept peacefully in her bed. She was ninety-seven now, which was an unheard of accomplishment in and of itself. Her husband had passed away two decades earlier, but instead of letting that break her as losing Zedd had, Galaxia had chosen to keep living and enjoying what the world had to offer. She surrounded herself with animals and magic and her family. She had five children of her own, nineteen grandchildren, and over sixty great-grandchildren, and she taught every last one of them magic and sorcery, ensuring her family would stay firmly on the side of good. She had saved countless lives over the years, both human and animal. She was respected as the great leader of her family and her community. Caius was incredibly proud to call her his friend. Her life had truly been remarkable.

As he watched Galaxia sleep, Caius knew what was coming. He wanted to deny it, but he had learned by now that for everyone else, death was inevitable. A moment after she exhaled her final breath, surrounded by her family, Caius felt everything inside of him break. Finally, he understood the last piece of the vision he had seen so many decades ago... The grave that would cause him unbearable grief was Galaxia's.

They were gone. All of the Chosen were gone. Everyone Caius had ever truly let in was now dead. He fell to his knees, consumed with a grief he was certain he would never recover from.

ZEDD

He felt something odd inside of him. Suddenly certain there was trouble, Zedd searched for Galaxia. The vision that appeared before him showed a family grieving and a woman he knew was Galaxia dead in her bed, a peaceful smile on her face. This was the very vision Zell had shown him.

His mind grieved deeply, but he could not feel anything. The sense of loss, however, was extremely strong. "Oh, Xia..." He whispered. "How I wish that I could cry." He knew he had to say goodbye to her, although he was not sure how he could do that. He pulled on his cloak and teleported to her town, then hid for two days until the community gathered to say goodbye.

He stayed to the back, hidden from sight, as they buried the girl he remembered loving in the ground. He watched as the community mourned her. He saw her impressively large family say goodbye, one by one, and he knew that she had been deeply loved.

She lived her life, he thought. She was loved. She was happy. Everything, all of this... It was worth the price.

He felt eyes on him and looked up, making sure his face was still hidden by his hood. Across the cemetery, he spotted Caius. He was older, although not as old as he should have been. Caius watched him and Zedd knew he knew exactly who he was. He hesitated, worried Caius might demand he be removed, but Caius simply nodded at him in acknowledgement. Zedd returned the nod. Today, they were not enemies. Today, they simply shared the need to say goodbye.

When the time came, Zedd placed a lily on her grave. Caius joined him and fell to his knees as he began openly weeping, his grief consuming him. Zedd wished he could still do that.

A hand landed on Zedd's shoulder briefly before the person moved to Caius. Zedd jumped at the unexpected touch, then saw who was comforting Caius. Zordon knelt beside him. Zedd could hardly believe his mortal enemy had offered him even that brief show of sympathy.

"I am alone..." Caius whispered.

"You shall never be alone, Caius," Zordon promised. "I know I am not always here, but I will return as often as I can. I will never leave you."

Caius allowed Zordon to comfort him. Finally, Zordon looked up at Zedd. "I hoped you would come today," he said.

"Why would you hope for such a thing?" Zedd asked.

"Because Xia would have wanted you here." He stood and helped Caius to his feet. "Caius... We must go now."

Caius nodded numbly. He looked at Zedd. "Take care of yourself, Zedd," he told him.

"You as well, Caius," Zedd said. He and Caius might not be on the same side, but Zedd owed him a debt for the kindness he had shown him after the Zeo Crystal had burned off his flesh. He had not forgotten that. Zedd walked away, knowing they would never again be allowed a moment of peace together. Only Galaxia's death had allowed them this brief ceasefire.

She is still changing lives, he thought. I cannot love you, my Xia... But I shall never forget how much I once did.

TWO CENTURIES LATER.

ZORDON

The battle was out of control. Rita was going to destroy everything. She was working for Zedd now and Zedd had ordered her to conquer Earth. Zordon's promise forced its way back into his head. I cannot save her... I must stop her, he thought. He couldn't kill her. Even now, after all the damage she had done as evil consumed her, he still loved her. He would have to trap her instead.

He knew Rita loved games, so he challenged her to a coin toss using the power coins he had discovered. As he won, Rita screamed and let out a final act of defiance as she was sealed with her minions inside of a space dumpster.

Her magic hit Zordon hard and he was flung outside of the time line. Suddenly, Zordon felt himself losing touch with reality. Terrified, he desperately tried to find his way back, but he could not. He was left with only one option to communicate with anyone. He had to embrace the use of the energy tube, as his father had done. Zordon was every bit as powerful as his father had been now, but he rarely allowed himself to use his full powers.

Caius, he thought. I promised I would not leave him... I am so sorry, my friend. He knew he could not return to Earth physically, or even Eltar. Unlike his father, he could not come and go from the energy tube as he pleased. He was trapped outside of time, perhaps forever, and he knew it would take a long time for him to even begin to navigate his way through this chaos just to find the energy tube.

She will escape one day, he knew. When she did, he would need to stop her. In a twist he had never seen coming, Zordon realized he would one day need to form a team of his own. I shall not be like my father, he vowed. Whatever he had to do to stop Rita and to save the world, he would do it through the light.

As he became completely lost outside of the timeline, Zordon clung to the love in his heart and vowed to find a way to save the universe once and for all.

EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO.

CAIUS

He had lived a thousand lives and he knew he'd live a thousand more. Currently, Caius was working as a professor at a university in California. He enjoyed teaching, but he never socialized with anyone outside of class. Caius had decided long ago never to get close to anyone. The knowledge that he would inevitably lose them was too much for him to stand.

The last thing he expected was Julia Chase. She was a new professor at the university who taught literature and history, and who had a passion for both. She was brilliant and funny and against all odds, she made Caius laugh. He could not resist spending time with her, even as his brain begged him to turn and run. After six months, she kissed him. Suddenly, for the first time in millennia, Caius felt alive. He had not allowed such an intimate touch since he lost Rose. He hadn't realized how much he missed connecting to someone. He could not deny he loved her. They ended up dating. Two years later, Caius lost his mind and proposed. They married that Spring.

Almost immediately, Julia got pregnant. For the first time, Caius considered that he might be able to be happy. Everything was finally going right. Sure, he would eventually lose her, but they could have decades together before that happened. They could raise their son and enjoy the time they did have.

One morning, Julia went out for a walk while Caius was teaching. Right after he made it home after his last class ended, a vision hit. It was Julia, crossing the street. A car slammed into her and she flew through the air, landing hard on the street several feet away. Her head hit the concrete. She died on impact.

Caius could feel the Underworld God coming for her. He dragged her off quickly and tried to grab their son.

"You shall not draw breath!" He declared. The baby was dying. If he was not removed from Julia soon, he would perish.

By the time Caius returned from the vision, he knew it was too late. His doorbell rang, and he nearly refused to answer it, but he knew he must. The officer who stood at the door told him a hit and run driver had struck his pregnant wife. Grief crushed Caius as he lost any hope that his vision had been wrong.

"The baby..." He whispered. "Did the baby survive?"

"They were performing a C-section to remove the baby when I came here. The baby was in severe distress, but they are hoping there is a chance," the officer told him. "I can drive you to the hospital."

Caius was numb as he got into the car. Julia was dead. He'd lost her decades sooner than he should have, and now he might lose their son, too.

They arrived quickly. The first doctor he found gave him a look of pity. "I'm so sorry," he said. "Your wife was killed on impact. Your son was in extreme distress when she arrived. We were able to remove him, but he was not breathing."

"He's dead?" Caius asked, his voice breaking along with his heart.

"No... Not yet. We put him on a ventilator and he started breathing, but his vitals are extremely weak, and he is unconscious... His chances of survival are very slim."

"Take me to him," Caius said. He needed to see his son while he still lived.

The boy was in an incubator, nearly hidden by all of the tubes coming out of his tiny body. Caius asked for privacy and the doctor left him alone.

"My boy..." He whispered. "I am so sorry. The God holding you hostage is angry with me, not you." He took a deep breath. "Please... Someone help my son. This is not his fate." He felt tears falling down his cheeks as he held his son's hand inside of the incubator.

You shall not claim him, he heard someone whisper defiantly. He knew it was Rose. He'd still know her voice anywhere.

Suddenly, he felt his son move. The child began to stir and opened his eyes. He did not cry until Caius called frantically for a doctor to remove the ventilator.

"Incredible!" The doctor said. "He's breathing on his own. It's a miracle..."

Caius knew it was safe to hold his son when the doctor placed him in his arms. "My beautiful boy..." He said softly. He knew the truth. His son would never be safe with him. The Death God would constantly be after him.

"I love you," he whispered. "That is why I cannot keep you." It broke something in him, but Caius had to protect his son. He spent the next few days searching for a good home for the boy, and only when a couple caused him to have a vision of his son growing up happy and unconditionally loved did he agree to give him away. He managed not to cry until after they had driven off with his little boy, who they were calling Caleb.

The next thing Caius did was resign from his job. The university offered him a sabbatical for his grief, but Caius knew he could never bring himself to teach in that school again knowing Julia was gone. He packed up his belongings and moved back to the farm, something he did every time he needed to start over. There, he remained in seclusion until the day would come when he was needed again. He knew it was inevitable. Somehow, Zell would return, and when he did, the descendants would need someone to guide and protect them.

THE END.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the story. I appreciate any and all comments and votes. Thanks for the support! The journey continues in Legacy Rangers. There, you will meet the new generation of the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers as well as the descendants of the Chosen.


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